


The Call Of A Mute Heart

by Calix



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Cute things, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I'm not good at tags, Illness, Music, Songs, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2018-05-22 16:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 98
Words: 315,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6087448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calix/pseuds/Calix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your heart has always been a problem and your mute vocal chords have made it impossible to achieve your dreams. But that doesn't stop you from aspiring to be a songwriter and a certain monster robot may be the key.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying out working on multiple works at once, just to see how it goes. Please tell me how I'm doing. I'm still very new to writing Reader fan fics. Also due to the overall tone of the story there won't be any smut. I just don't see it working. Sorry!  
> Anyway, thank you for reading!

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was high in the sky. The wind bristled the grass with its slow travels. Birds flew about, singing their beautiful songs. You placed a hand on the glass of the window and you looked out of it longingly. People and monsters walked down the sidewalk, in your neighborhood. So lively. So energetic. Everyone looked happy. A heavy sigh left your lips and you allowed your hand to drop to your side. Looking down at your chest, your palm rested on the spot where your heart beat against your ribs.

A brief pain ebbed from your heart causing you to wince. Why did you even bother looking at something that you could never have? You closed your eyes and mentally willed the pain to go away. Attacks were something that had always been apart of your life. Most generally they were mild but you had had a few scares. The hospital was always on stand by, ready to whisk you away to a sterile rooms smelling of antiseptic and chemicals. If only your heart was stronger.... You could be outside enjoying this gorgeous day.

But life had other plans and here you sat, people watching from your bedroom window. Wishing to be out there with them.... To be able to go out without the fear that an attack could happen at any moment...

The pain subsided and you let out a shaky breath. It had just been a minor one. Relief filled you, as you looked away from the beautiful day. Everything out there was making you feel depressed. Turning on the TV, with a flick of the remote.

Beautiful melodies drifted from the speakers and filled the room. Soothing your somber thoughts. A metallic monster danced about on stage. Singing to a techno remix that was being played by a ghost in the back. His voice rang out loud and clear, entrancing everyone in the stadium. Another heavy sigh left you. You wish you could be up there on stage, singing your heart out to thousands of people. But that is another thing that you could never have. It seems like everything was going to bring you down today.

Ever since you were small, music was your passion. It consumed everything you did and you had always wanted to be a singer. The only thing you lacked to become one was a voice. Your fingers lightly drifted against your neck, as if your touch would magically bring your mute vocal chords to life. You knew how to play several instruments such as the violin but it wasn’t the same. You wanted to be center stage.

Your eyes drifted to the piece of paper that laid on your lap-desk. Even though you couldn’t sing, that didn’t mean someone couldn’t sing your songs for you. So you had decided to aspire to be the next best thing: A songwriter.

It was harder than it looked and with the monsters being freed it had become harder. Now monsters fought for the same jobs as humans, which wasn’t a bad thing. You were glad the world was so open minded to allow the species to blend in with today’s society. Your neighborhood now had at least 10 new monster families and they always were doing something entertaining, especially the two skeletons who lived right across the street. They had moved in a few weeks ago but there was always something going on over there.

A smile made its way onto your face. The silly monsters across the street always managed to do that. But another monster had taken the human world by storm. His robotic face on just about everything. One of his live concert currently blaring from your TV. Becoming an international superstar in the span of a few short months.

Taking your pencil, you went back to work on your song. Even though it had become tougher to become a song writer, a new event has brightened your spirits. It’s all thanks to the android monster that was now posing dramatically for the camera on your TV. The multi-talented monster had wanted to celebrate his 1 year debut on the surface with a song writing contest. Whoever won got to have their song turned into a Mettaton original and would get to help make it.

If you won this contest you would finally make it. You could become a songwriter. Flipping the pencil over, you erased some lyrics with a grumble. Anyone who wanted to be a songwriter or was a fan of Mettaton’s would be entering this contest. Winning was wishful thinking but that didn’t stop you from trying. Everyone knew how Mettaton loved his body and was rather egotistical. There was no doubt in your mind about 90% of the entries would be praise for Mettaton, in some way. It was like brown nosing to a teacher and you weren’t going to take that route.

Instead you went with something more....personal. Ever since you had heard about the contest, you had watched several of Mettaton’s shows and concerts on Netflix. Studying the monster and after a few days you felt confident you could write a song that would appeal to him.

However that didn’t mean you would win. After rewriting the lyrics you had erased, you reread it. Making sure to add the sheet music you had written to go along with it. It was a beautiful orchestra piece with accents of techno to bring it into the modern era. You had written it from the heart... hopefully it would touch Mettaton’s. 

Rereading it while singing the tune in your head, you nodded satisfied. This was going to be the piece that you were going to send in. After countless hours of thinking and rewriting you had finally come up with something that you liked. The hundreds of paper balls scattered on the floor proved how hard you had worked. You grabbed the envelope you had already written up, from your nightstand, and put your all your hopes and dreams into it.

You licked the adhesive and folded it closed. It didn’t take you long to walk through your bare apartment to go out the front door. Your hand stopped right before the handle. Terrifying thoughts plaguing your mind like it always did when you attempted to go out. Would something exciting happen and cause you to have another attack? What if you just had one and no one comes to help? You would die right in your driveway. No one even caring that you no longer existed. Stop. No. It was just a small walk down the driveway to the mail box. You were just being paranoid. You wouldn’t be out for more than a minute. 

You’ll be fine.

With a shaking hand, you slowly open the door and peer out. No one was out except for the skeletons. The really tall one was doing some exercises while the stout one in a blue hoodie laid back in a lawn chair, basking in the sun. You chuckled to yourself. They were complete opposites but they looked like they were the best of friends. Since the coast was clear, you straightened up and walked out of your house. Leaving your front door open to make it easier to get back inside.

In a few quick steps, you were putting your song entry into the mailbox and putting the flag up for the mailman. Mission completed. With no surprises to boot. You were proud of yourself for the momentary victory of overcoming your fears. A bright smile on your face. A happy skip entered your step as you walked back to your house.

“BROTHER LOOK! OUR ,HUMAN, NEIGHBOR HAS LEFT THE CONFINES OF HER HOUSE!”

Your heart just about jumped out of your throat from the loud voice that came from behind you. In an instant, you were pulled into a hug that left you gasping for air. The skeleton holding you high up off the ground. You glanced up at the monster that held you and noticed that it was the taller one of the two. A broad smile was on his face as he swung you around excitedly, in his tight grip.

It was taking all your will power to calm yourself down. The beating in your chest going into overdrive from the shock and surprise. Your heart pounding so hard it hurt... It hurt so much. Calm down. Take deep breaths.... It’ll be okay....

“Hey, Pap. We are trying to greet our neighbor not suffocate them.”

With that, the taller skeleton set you down on your shaky legs. Your whole body trembled lightly, as you concentrated on your breathing. Willing your erratic heart to calm down. It was several minutes until you finally got it to relax to a somewhat normal pace. Feeling like you could talk again, you straightened up and looked up to see that the stout one had joined you two. Extremely worried looks were on both the monsters faces.

The taller one was the first to speak up. “HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” his voice was loud but you could hear the concern behind it.

You gave him a weak reassuring smile. “I’m fine. You just startled me is all.” you signed to the monsters. The taller one’s eye sockets grew wide when he saw your hands flow with the sign language symbols. However the smaller one’s narrowed. It appeared like he was looking straight through you, as though you were as transparent as a ghost. It was as though he knew everything about who you were with that gaze. You held back the shiver that crept up your spine. It was then you realized that you didn’t have your white board with you. Could these two even understand sign language?

“I’M SORRY FOR STARTLING YOU, HUMAN!” said the tall skeleton, his face had turned down into a frown and he looked flustered.

The smaller skeleton closed his eye sockets. “Yeah. Sorry about that. My brother can be a real bonehead.” His face seemed to turn into a genuine smile rather than keep the one he had plastered on his face a moment ago. Was that..... a bone pun? You clapped your hands to your mouth as soundless giggles left you. That had answered your question at least. They both understood what you said. 

This seemed to relax them both. “SANS! PLEASE! NO MORE AWFUL PUNS!” the tall one groaned out before turning his attention back to you. “HUMAN! IT IS NICE TO FINALLY SEE YOU! THAT WINDOW DOESN’T DO YOU JUSTICE! I ..AM, THE GREAT, PAPYRUS AND THIS IS MY LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER, SANS!” The taller skeleton exclaimed with great pride. You looked from him to his brother.

“Sup” was all he said, offering his hand out to you. Calming yourself from the puns, you take his hand and shake it, along with Papyrus’s.

“Hello, my name is (y/n).” You signed to them once you had gotten your hands free. These two seemed to be completely nice.

“WELL, (Y/N)! WE MUST HAVE YOU OVER FOR DINNER SOMETIME!” Papyrus said with childish excitement, his eye sockets seemed to sparkle as he awaited your answer.

“That would be lovely, Papyrus.” You sign back with a bright smile.

“WONDERFUL! I CAN’T WAIT!” Papyrus hopped up and down like a kid. You saying yes appearing to be the highlight of his day.

Sans poked his brother to get the tall skeleton’s attention. “Don’t go slackin’ on your training. Undyne’ll be mad.”

This seemed to rile up Papyrus. “I NEVER SLACK OFF, BROTHER! IT IS YOU WHO IS ALWAYS SLEEPING!” He then seemed to think for a bit. “BUT YOU ARE RIGHT! GOODBYE, HUMAN!” the tall skeleton then dashed off back to their house. The sounds of pans clinking about soon followed. You chuckled to yourself. Was he training to be a chef?

“Hey.”

It was then that you remembered that Sans was still there. You turn to him and give him a big smile. He looked to the ground then back up at you. The happy look replaced with the worried one again, now that Papyrus was out of eye sight.

“Gimme your phone for a sec.” he said with a serious look. You cocked your head at him confused but complied, unlocking the phone for him. He put himself in your contacts and handed it back to you by pressing it gently against your heart. “Listen. If you need help with anything...Don’t hesitate to call.”

Your eyes grew wide. Had he already figured out your weak heart? Then again, you didn’t exactly do a good job of hiding it earlier but there was no way of knowing unless he had asked. You hadn’t clutched your heart this time in so they wouldn’t notice. But the fact that he looked so concerned and then touched your phone to your heart couldn’t be a coincidence. He appeared to be a person who was laid back but it seemed that he had a sharper perception than he lets on. You took the phone and looked to the ground grimly for a second before looking up at him again with a sad smile.

It took you a moment before you responded. “Thank you... I will make sure to do that.” You sign to him.

“Good. Give me a call and I will be over immediately.” His worried expression returning to a happy one, “After all that fruit basket was awesome. Thanks for that. It was pear-fect.”

The sad smile you had turned into a happy one. Silent laughter falling from your lips. Puns weren’t really your thing but the attempt to cheer you up was much appreciated. You were glad they remembered it. When they had moved in you had snuck over to give them a gift basket to welcome them to the neighborhood. You had waited until night time to ensure nothing jumped out at you. It was good that you were able to find out what they thought of the gift. With that said, Sans gave you a small wave and went back over to his house, leaving you by your mailbox.

Now that was over with, you went back inside your house and shut the door. They were a nice pair of skeletons. You walked into your music room and picked up your violin, tuning it as you played an uplifting tune in your mind. It was nice that you had someone concerned about you like that. Friends.... Family all of them had moved on with their lives a long time ago. Leaving you alone to live with your uncertain future. Your heart soared. Maybe you would make more friends with the other monsters on the street.

You brought the bow to the strings and began to play a happy melody. Maybe this wouldn’t be a bad day after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad everyone has enjoyed that first chapter. To be honest, I don't really know what I'm doing with this story or where it is going. This concept just kept burning in my brain and I ended up staying up all night to write it. It makes me so happy how this one chapter turned into this into it's own little monster! But I will say this: It will be a slow build. There will not be the classic "I loved you when I saw you!". Sometimes that works. Most of the time it's cheesy. x.x
> 
> Yes, it may appear the Sans is the key dude but he is not! Sans will just be the awesomely sweet big brother or best friend. He is the kind of guy who (once he was friends with them) would do anything to protect a friend. That's what he is here!
> 
> Also I will be updating this once a week. I will tell you if something has come up! One more thing! I actually will be including the song that won and I would love it if anyone could help me turn it into a real thing. Please don't be afraid to message me or leave a comment! I want to hear what you all think!
> 
> I just noticed that comments show up in the inbox. I'm still new to this site! XD
> 
> Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thanks so much for reading!

You were peeking out your window, in the living room. Watching a certain stout skeleton put something in your mailbox. Sans looked up at your house and gave you a small wave. How he knew you were watching or if he even knew you were there, you weren’t sure. He then sauntered back across the street. This had been going on for a few weeks now. It had actually started after the day you had gone over to their house for dinner. That had been quite the ordeal.

When you arrived, Papyrus had caught you in another surprise hug that left your heart erratic. If Sans hadn’t been there to distract his brother before it got worse....you may have ended up in the hospital. He then helped you calm down and whenever Papyrus seemed to get to excited he would make a comment to distract his brother away from you. Sans may appear to be aloof and laid back.... But that lazy skeleton knew what he was doing. Even though it was obvious your reaction to Papyrus’s hug wasn’t normal, the taller skeleton brother didn’t seem to notice, which meant you had to be extra careful around the excitable skeleton. Not that he meant you any harm. He was one of the sweetest people...er monster you have ever met. However the rest of the evening had gone off without any problems and it was a lot of fun. It had been a long time since you hung out with anyone like that. 

But old habits are hard to break. After that night, you went back to what you normally did; hiding from the world. The paranoid fears, of possible attacks, keeping you from exiting the house. Your skeletal neighbors seemed to notice your absence rather quickly. Despite texting back and forth, the skeletons had begun to leave little gifts for you in your mailbox. Every other day it would be something different; little jokes on notes, tupper-ware dishes full of spaghetti, things to play practical jokes on people. Though you weren’t sure who you were going to use them on since you rarely had visitors. It was unexpected but the little gestures really brightened your day. When night came, you would return the favor with something nice or a thank you note. As for why they had started this tradition.....you hadn’t the faintest idea. You didn’t know them that well but it was nice to think that you actually had friends to talk to. Even if it was in this odd way.

Your eyes drifted around the rather boring room you currently sat in. The silence of the house was starting to get to you. It always did. Eventually, you turned on something for background noise. Though that didn’t always work. The emptiness of the house would just creep up your back and haunt you like a ghost. If it wasn’t for the fact that you had health problems you would probably have a pet. But your own issues worried you to much to even consider the possibility of taking care of another life. So you lounged in your living room in silence, watching the day outside from the couch.

God, it was nice out. Mother Nature seemed to enjoy taunting you. It was another beautiful day but there was no one about now that Sans had gone back inside. You should probably go see what he had put in your mailbox but decided to do it later. With a heavy sigh, you stood up, turning off the TV that you had on, and walked down the hall to your music room. Unlike the rest of the house, it actually looked nice. Musical instruments lined the walls and bookshelves full of sheet music were stacked under them.The loneliness you felt seemed to diminish a bit. This room always had a way of turning your mood around.

Taking your violin, you began to play a somber tune, expressing yourself in a way that your voice couldn’t. Throwing your all into it, you swayed your hips and allowed the music to tell the world how you felt, your bow sliding expertly across the strings. The haunting melody filled the house and drove out the silence that had threatened to bring you down. Time seemed to blur as you played, ignoring the world and just letting the music call out. It wasn’t until your phone vibrated in your pocket did you come to a stop. Who could that be? You maneuvered the phone into your hand, while still holding the bow. Sans. Odd. He normally sent you a pun when he woke up or right before bed. You opened the text.

**Sans 3:09pm**

**Hey. You may wanna answer your door. You don’t want them to _knock_ it down.**

Now that you weren’t playing, a persistent knocking on your front door reached your ears. A smirk forming on your face. _Knock_ it down. Sans doesn’t miss a chance on the puns. You thanked Sans for the heads up and slipped your phone back into your pocket, heading out of the room and down the hall. The knocking on the door was continuous. Continuous and loud. Their hands had to hurt by now. Who could it be?

You were still reeling from the fact that you had been playing the violin for 5 hours. It was so easy for you to lose yourself in the music. As you stood in front of the door, you shook your head. Enough thinking there was someone pounding on the door, hopefully they didn’t break it. You started to open the door, when it was forced the rest of the way open. Causing you to take a couple steps back from the force.

“HELLO THERE, DARLING~”

A large figure strutted into your line of sight and your heart jumped in your chest. The current most popular, international, monster idol was standing on your doorstep. Mettaton. THE METTATON! Why was he here? What would he want with you? He stood there looking at you with a big sassy smile, his hands splayed on his hips. Behind him people surged, stopping short of running the monster star over. Flashes from photography and lights from the cameras blinded you, causing you to squint and look away. All the people started talking at once. It was loud. It was bright. It was to much!

Your heart pounded frantically in your chest from all the commotion and shock. The pain increasing with every beat but you didn’t have time to focus on breathing, long metal arms pulled you into a hug right in front of the cameras. The android monster struck a pose with his arm wrapped tightly around your shoulders. “ After THREE hours of persistence, we finally get to see the beauty behind the door~” Mettaton said as he addressed the cameras in a melodramatic triumphant manner.

You trembled in pain against Mettaton’s metallic form. The cameras were all up in your face.Was this a live recording? Were thousands of people going to witness one of your attacks on national television? No. That wasn’t going to happen. You scrunched up your face and tried to relax yourself, taking low shallow breaths. It was bad enough that Sans had noticed. There was no way you were going to allow this to happen on national TV.

All your concentration was on your frantic heart, willing it to calm down. Hopefully, you just looked like you were starstruck, instead of a hyperventilating scared girl. It was taking a lot to stop yourself from showing the pain on your face. You gripped the neck of the violin and bow tightly that you had unintentionally brought with you. Using the instrument for comfort. That didn’t go unnoticed.

“Now beauties and gentlebeauties! This is a very special announcement but I will get to that in just a moment~” Mettaton winked teasingly to the cameras. He then gave you one of his showstopping smiles. “I must ask, darling, were you the one playing that absolutely beautiful music while we waited out here?”

Your eyes dart to the ground and you nod weakly, your body trembling even more. Maintaining your composure was getting harder to do. “Really, darling? That’s absolutely wonderful! I’m so glad I get to work with such a talented young lady.” Mettaton moved so that you were kind of behind him but played it off as him leaning towards the cameras. It was as if he noticed your discomfort and moved so that you weren’t in the spotlight anymore. Wait.... What did he just say? Work with...? What did he mean by-

“That’s right, everyone! Are you ready everyone for my special announcement?” He paused for a dramatic effect, pulling you soul crushingly close. Looking at you again with another big smile “Congratulations, darling! You have won, my fabulous song entry contest!” 

Contest? What contest? What did he mea- OH! THE SONG CONTEST! Your mind raced. You had completely forgotten about it in the few weeks since you mailed your lyrics. The odds of you winning were so poor you had already written it off. Preferring to drown yourself in your own world of music. If it wasn’t for the fact that Mettaton was holding you up, you would have fallen to the floor. He was looking at you expectantly as if he was waiting for you to say something. An awkward silence immediately followed. Between your hands being full and trying not to die on national TV, you couldn't think of anything to say.

“Hmm? Speechless, darling? That’s okay! I was speechless when I read that magnificent song you wrote!” He loosened his tight hug and you stood on wobbly legs. When was this going to end? “That’s all for my special announcement! I can’t wait to perform this lovely lady’s song, for you all! Remember everyone....Stay absolutely beautiful~”

Mettaton struck a farewell pose for a few moments then the cameras were dropped and the people moved to load everything into the vans that were lined in front of your house. It was just you and Mettaton in front of your house now. You let out a small sigh but maintained your composure, despite the pain. If you continued to maintain a normal face then he wouldn’t notice. Your mind on trying to not blow this once in a lifetime opportunity. A piece of paper was put in front of your face. With a shaking hand you took it, after you transferred your bow to the other hand with the violin, and looked up to see that Mettaton had released you. The monster idol now stood in front of you. His tall figure was bent down so that you were at eye level.

Pink eyes looked at you concerned and he had an apologetic smile on his face. “You’re such a trooper, darling. If I had known you would have such a reaction.... I wouldn’t have put you in front of the cameras like that. I’m truly sorry for putting you on the spot like this...” You shook your head fervently. There was no way he could have known. But as for what he meant by reaction... He didn’t elaborate. Hopefully, he thought it was just a horrible case of stage fright. “Well anyway.... All the information you need is on that piece of paper. I’ll be expecting you at my studio tomorrow. I can’t wait to work with you, my little songbird~”

A blush spread across your cheeks as, Mettaton gave you a playful wink before heading out, leaving you alone on your front step. That nickname....He had quoted a lyric from your song right back at you. Your heart beat even harder and you winced. So he actually had read your son-

“HUMAN! I DIDN’T KNOW YOU KNEW METTATON!” called Papyrus as he dashed across the street to meet you, Sans on his heels.

Your eyes grew wide with fear as they approached. No! No! No! No! No! No! Why did they have to come over now? You had finally had a moment to yourself and had allowed your facade to drop. Everything had gotten worse after Mettaton had left. Your breathing had become more labored. The pain in your chest was excruciating.

“Hey, kiddo. I didn’t know you were so popul-” Sans stopped talking when he saw your face.

Everything you held clattered to the floor. With a sharp intake of breath, you clutched desperately at your heart, wanting to claw it out. It hurt.... It hurt so much. No more.... Please! You gave into the pain, tears streaming down your cheeks while you tried to breath evenly. Your legs gave and your body hit the cold pavement, trembling violently.

“HUMAN!”

“KID!”

Both the skeletons rushed over. Papyrus flailed around flustered, looking to his brother for guidance. Sans picked you up bridal style, carrying you as if you would break at the slightest gust of wind. He dashed into your house and, after getting momentarily lost, laid you on your bed.

“It’s alright kid. You’ll be fine. Just focus on your breathing. Calm yourself-”

“SANS...? What’s wrong with the human?” Papyrus said extremely worried, his voice dropping to a normal tone. He paced the little area in front of your bed. Not knowing what he should be doing.

Oh no. You didn’t want to worry Papyrus but there wasn’t much you could do. The darkness had started to creep in on your vision. The awful darkness that always scared you. The darkness that you feared you would never wake up from. Your trembling got even worse at the thought and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Dammit. I’m calling 911.” Sans whispered, pulling out his phone. 

No! If you were sent to the hospital then you couldn’t work on your song with Mettaton. It was highly unlikely that he would wait for you to get out of the hospital.Your dreams of being a song writer would be dashed. With your future up in there air, due to your illness, you didn’t want to lose this chance.Weakly, you grab at Sans arm that held his phone. He looked down at you. Fear and concern was all you could see on his face. 

Keeping eye contact with him, you shook your head slowly. Pleading at him with your eyes. “Please don’t.” you signed to him. “I’ll be fine.”

“Kiddo, you are far from fine.” Sans shook his head, in disbelief. 

“Don’t worry...It’ll be over in a _beat_.” a small smile on your face as you signed.

Sans’s eye sockets grew wide. Determination was written all over your pleading face. Then he chuckled and shook his head, putting his phone back in his pocket, with a defeated look on his face. “If you can make a heart pun right now...you’ll be fine.”

Relieved, you let out a sigh. That had been close. You probably should go to the hospital but you were to close to attaining your dream. At this point, you would rather risk it instead of giving up. Sans told Papyrus to go get something and he had dashed off. Happy to be able to do something. He then sat on the edge of your bed, saying encouraging words.

Several minutes passed and a heavy feeling started to descend on your body. Your breathing began to regulate, as your heart slowly began to beat at a normal pace. You had that feeling that someone was staring through you again. Sans was looking down at you and a smile stretched across his face “It’s about time.... Don’t scare me like that kiddo.”

“You’ll get used to it.” you signed to him “I already have.”

A sad look hinted on his face for a second. “So what did Mettaton want with you?” he asked changing the subject and you let him. Your hands sign away as you explained what had happened. Sans waited until your hands dropped heavily to the bed before responding. “ Hmmm... So you have to go to his studio tomorrow, huh?”

You nod, excitement lighting up your eyes. Signing quickly, “Do you know him?”.

“Yeah. We’re friends. He, Papyrus, and I were some of the first monsters to leave the underground....” He trailed off for a couple minutes. “You’re a good kid, (y/n). But I don’t trust you going to that studio by yourself. Mettaton is a good guy, don’t get me wrong.... It’s just with your condition... I think it would be good to have someone watching your back for the moment. Mettaton is known for the unexpected and drama.”

The attack had wore you out. Your eyes drooped as the dark spots in your vision got bigger. “That sounds nice but why are you doing all this?” you signed as you fought off the urge to sleep.

“That’s what friends do.”

A bitter feeling formed in the pit of your stomach. His words just reminded you of the friends that never visited and the family that never called. “Not all friends.” you signed, a somber look in your eyes.

Sans scratched his skull in thought. “True. Then let me elaborate.” He said with a shrug. “That’s what _good_ friends do.”

Your eyes grew wide...well attempted to. “We’re good friends?” your hands had slowed due to the need of sleep.

“Of course. Anyone who can think of puns in a tense situation is a good one in my book. The moment you met Paps... You were on the good friends list with him. But enough chit chat.” Sans stood up and walked to the doorway of your bedroom, He leaned his form against the frame. “Go to sleep kiddo. Your going to need it for tomorrow.”

It was hard but you fought the urge to sleep a little longer. You had friends... People who actually cared for what happened to you.... A tired smile tugged at your lips. This is the happiest you had been in a long time. You felt hopeful. “Do you think I’ll make friends with Mettaton, too?” you sign, your hands barely able to move to form the words.

“No doubt about it, kiddo. Despite being a diva, he’s a really good guy.”

You nodded, wearily.The darkness had all but consumed your vision. Your eyelids drooped and your body screamed at you to sleep. This time you embraced it. Slowly, you close your eyes and let the heaviness of sleep overtake you. A smile that you didn’t know you could still do rested on your face.


	3. Chapter 3

The loud roar of a vacuum cleaner pulled you out of your deep slumber. Why the hell was your vacuum cleaner running? Who was in your house? Wearily, you look around your darkened bedroom, groggy and confused. Then the memories of yesterday swarmed in your mind and you let out a sigh. Sans and Papyrus had witnessed one of your more violent attacks. There was no doubt that they were probably to scared to leave you home alone and thus had stayed the night. 

Ugh. What time is it? You lifted your head and your body protested the movement. Your body was still heavy with sleep and tired from the strong attack that you had yesterday. Despite all the protests, you sit up and look over at the alarm clock on your nightstand. 

10:30 am 

Man, that attack had worn you out. Staying in bed sounded like a wonderful thing but you had things to do today. There was no way you weren’t going to show up to the studio now. It was time to face the music. You slide your feet to the floor and stand up, rubbing your eyes. A yawn escaped your lips, as you walked out of your room into the hallway. Immediately, you came to a halt. Your hands clapping to your mouth to stifle silent laughter.

There in front of you was Papyrus. He was vacuuming while humming a tune to himself. A pink apron was wrapped around his skeletal frame. You stand there and watch him a bit before he turns around. His face lighting up. “HUMAN!” he calls, turning off the vacuum cleaner and you walk up to him.

“Good morning, Papyrus.” you sign to him with a smile. 

Papyrus pulls you into a rather gentle hug. “A GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO!”

You pulled away and looked at him curiously. This was the first time that he had handled you so gently. Had your attack scared him that much? Also, why was he cleaning your house? This is definitely something new. “What are you up to?” you signed to him curiously.

“WELL,” he began in his usual loud tone and then it dropped. “You see... Sans explained to me what had happened and that also explained your odd reaction to my hugs...” Your eyes widened. He looked to floor sadly and sorry was written all over his face. Did he think he hurt you the first couple of times? There was no way you could let the sweet skeleton continue that train of thought.

“Papyrus, it’s okay!” you signed to him, trying to cheer him up. “You didn’t know and I didn’t exactly tell you about it.” A frown forming on your features. So he HAD noticed your adverse reactions to his hugs. You mentally berated yourself. This was something you needed to work on. You didn’t want to advertise your health issues to everyone or cause people trouble.

“I know...” Papyrus said before recovering and striking a heroic pose. “BUT WORRY NOT, HUMAN! FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM MAKING IT UP TO YOU BY TAKING CARE OF YOUR HOUSE!”

You silently giggled at his enthusiasm. “You don’t need to do that, you know.” you signed to him.

“OH, BUT I INSIST! I, THE GREAT MAID PAPYRUS, HAVE VACUUMED THE HOUSE, WASHED THE DISHES, AND EVEN DONE YOUR LAUNDRY!” stated the tall skeleton proudly. A shuffling sound behind him had you looking around the skeleton so see Sans walk out of your kitchen. 

“Morning, kiddo. Glad to see you up and about.” Sans said as he gave you a small wave. He walked up and stood off to the side between you and Papyrus.

You smile at him. “Morning, Sa-” you began to sign but are cut off as a familiar garment is shown, in front of your face.

Papyrus held one of your bras with a strap in each hand. A look of confusion on his face. “HUMAN! THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS BAFFLED ME. WHAT IS THIS GARMENT WITH LUMPS AND STRAPS?” He looked genuinely confused at what it was. Taking the bra and stretching it like it a sling shot. “IS IT SOME KIND OF HIDDEN WEAPON?”

All the blood in your body flowed to your face as you stared at Papyrus and your bra, absolutely mortified. Your heart rate picking up a bit. You were frozen in place. There was no way in HELL you were going to explain a bra to the younger skeleton. Your eyes dart over to Sans with a pleading look. Hoping that he could help you with this awkward situation.

Those hopes were dashed, immediately. Sans had both of his hands over his mouth in an attempt to contain the loud snickers that were wracking his body. Blue tears threatened to fall from his eye sockets. He catches your pleading glance and he just loses it even more. The smaller skeleton is one step away from rolling around on the floor laughing at your predicament. You watch as Papyrus tries various things with the bra before shaking off some of the embarrassment to say something.

“No, it’s not a weapon!” You sign frantically to Papyrus. Your face a bright red. The tall skeleton notices the bright blush on your face and a look of concern crosses it.

“HUMAN? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU’RE ALL RED!” Papyrus puts his hand on your forehead. The bra lightly smacking you in the face as it dangled by the strap on his wrist. “HOPEFULLY, YOU ARE NOT GETTING A FEVER! BUT IF THAT IS THE CASE.... THEN I, THE KIND AND CARING PAPYRUS, SHALL NURSE YOU BACK TO HEALTH!”

At this point, Sans laughter was ringing throughout the house, blue tears falling down his cheekbones. You step back from Papyrus’s hand and snatch your bra from off his wrist. The inquisitiveness still hadn’t left the tall skeleton’s face. Sans stood up and you cast him another pleading look. “Help me!” you signed to him when Papyrus wasn’t looking. 

Sans wiped tears from his eyes. “Sorry kiddo. But you’re kinda stuck in this boobie trap!” He then slunk off back to the kitchen, abandoning you to his curious brother. Your mouth dropping open as you watch him bail on you.

A pun. Are you kidding me? You rubbed your temples with your fingers, as you mentally groaned. That skeleton was going to get a rude awakening for ditching on you. Maybe those practical jokes Sans had given you would be put to good use after all. On him.

“HUMAN?” asked Papyrus, pulling you out of your thoughts of revenge.

“I-It’s just a girl human thing!” you quickly sign, before dashing back into your room and closing the door.

“INTERESTING! HUMANS HAVE SUCH WEIRD CLOTHES!” Papyrus called behind the door and then after a few moments the vacuum started up again.You let out a sigh of relief. Awkward crisis narrowly avoided. Taking the bra, you walk over to your dresser and put it in its correct spot. That’s when you saw what was laid on top of it. Your violin.

When was this brought back in? You vaguely remember dropping it before falling to the pavement and cringe. Dropping instruments like that is never a good thing. One of the skeleton brothers must have brought it in, after you passed out.You pick it up and look it over. Sure enough there was a nasty scuff mark on the bottom from when you had dropped it. This was worry some. Hopefully, that was all that was wrong with it. You take the bow that was next to it and drag it, experimentally, across the strings.

An awful sound emits from the instrument and you, quickly, put it back on top of your dresser. It was broken. There was no doubt about it. This was the only violin you had and you have had it with you for years. A wave of sadness washes over you and you start to tear up a bit. You didn’t have the money to get it fixed.... IF it could even be fixed.

“Hey, kid...?” you hear Sans, as he opened the door to your room. You, quickly, wipe back the tears and turn to address the stout skeleton.

“What’s up?” you sign with a small smile.

Sans raises a brow bone at you. “What’s wrong?” He asked, not buying your act one bit.

You let your shoulders droop and allow your brief happy facade fade. Nothing got by this skeleton. So it wasn’t surprising that your facade had failed. “It’s broken.” you signed and then looked back at your violin.

“Ah.... I’m sorry.” Sans leaned against the door frame and scratched absently at his skull. Appearing, to not know what to do about it.

You shake your head. “There wasn’t anything you could do.” you sign and look over at Sans. “So what’s up?” you ask again, changing the subject. This wasn’t his problem and its not like he could do anything to fix it anyway.

“Oh! Uh...right! Breakfast is done.” Sans says pointing his thumb behind him. “Don’t worry. I cooked it.” he replied to the wary expression on your face. Images from the spaghetti dinner at their house to all the inedible tupper ware dishes of the famous pasta flashed in your mind. Papyrus was sweet but his cooking skills...needed work.... A LOT of work.

Sans headed down the hallway and you followed him somberly, sliding into your chair at the kitchen table. The stout skeleton places a plate of bacon and eggs in front of you, before sitting in the chair opposite you. It smells delicious. You dig your fork into the eggs and take several hungry bites. Your tummy was happy that you finally ate something since you didn’t eat anything yesterday.

Once the plate is almost empty, you look up to see Sans holding your bottle of ketchup from the fridge. He gives you a wink and downs the whole bottle while you watched transfixed. That....was absolutely disgusting. Also where the hell did it go? He’s a skeleton! The empty bottle was slammed on the table like he just finished a strong shot, pulling you out of your thoughts. You put your fork down. “Sans......why?” you sign to him.

He just shrugs casually at you and goes to your fridge. “Mornings are always kinda slow for me. This helps me ketchup.” he says as he browses. ”Got anymore?” Another pun.You mentally groan and wait until he’s looking at you again before you respond.

“Check the pantry. Top shelf.” you sign, shaking your head at him. He flashes you a big grin and saunters over to the pantry. You look back across the table, where he once sat, and notice a packed bag sitting on the counter, behind the chair. Curious, you get up and check it out.

Inside was almost everything for an overnight bag. All that was missing was some things to do and clothes. But it wasn’t Sans or Papyrus’s stuff, it was yours. You turn to Sans, signing questioningly. “Why is there a bag of my stuff here?”

Sans sits in your chair and slides your plate across the table to you, where he sat before. A brand new bottle of ketchup in his other hand. “Check out that piece of paper next to the bag. Papyrus found it with your violin yesterday.” 

You grab the piece of paper and sit down at your plate, absently picking up a piece of bacon and munching on it. The paper had to be what Mettaton handed you before leaving. Polishing off your bacon, you read what it says:

 

**Congratulations on winning, Darling~**

**Please swing by the MTT studio on xxxxx street in Xxxx, XX by 11:00 am. If you live in another country or state, transportation will be provided. Depending on how things work out, you may need to pack for a few days. Showbiz is rough, darling. We may be working late and if so you will get to stay at the FABULOUS MTT resort that is next door to the studio. Free of charge, of course~**  
　　  
**So prepare accordingly, darling! I can’t wait to work with you~**  
　　  
　　 **Yours fabulously,**  
　　 **Mettaton**

Your eyes grow wide as you frantically look over to the clock on your microwave.

10:45 am

Fifteen minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES. You had to be at the studio in fifteen minutes! Grabbing the bag, you dashed into your room, stuffing in a nice outfit. You grab the clothes you were going to wear for today and run into the bathroom, taking the world’s fastest shower.

Once out, you get dressed and prepped as fast as you can. Time is of the essence. Skillfully, you dodge around Papyrus as he vacuumed by and ran into your music room. Making sure to grab your song notebook and the notebook made of sheet music pages. All packed you dash back into the kitchen to see that your plate had been cleared and Sans sat there looking at you amused. You glance at the microwave clock again.

10:57 am

There was no way that you were going to make it to the studio on time. You slumped to the ground in despair. MTT’s main studio was in the city but it takes about 20 minutes before you even get into town. Let alone the traffic! You were going to be late... REALLY late. This wasn’t your morning. Despite all the good things, there had been so much that has gone wrong. This was not how this was supposed to go! Now you were going to be late to the once in a lifetime thing that would make your dreams come true....

You look at Sans. “Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? Now there is no way that I will get there on time.” you signed to him sadly.

“Nah, you still got plenty of time.” he says standing up and offering his boney hand to you.

“But how Sans?” you sign, then taking his hand. The moment you take his hand he pulls you into a hug. Your backpack lightly squished up against you with boney arms. You squirm a little against him.What’s with the sudden hug? “Sans...?” you sign up to him when you wiggle your arms free.

He gives you a playful wink, “Hold on tight, kiddo. And...uh...close your eyes.”. Not understanding what was going on and giving him a confused look, you do as he says. You grip his blue jacket and snap your eyes closed. Immediately, you feel the ground fall out from beneath your feet. The dropping sensation taking your stomach with it. You bury your face in his shoulder at the disorienting feeling. A slight prickle of fear causing your heart to beat faster. After a few seconds, ground can be felt under your wobbly legs again. “Alright, you can open your eyes now.”

With caution, you peek out under your eyelids only to have them fly open wide at the sight, before you. The large soft purple and black building that was the MTT studio stood before you. What? How? When did? What even? Just HOW? You start taking quick shallow breaths in an attempt to stop the small panic attack arising and fueling your already stressed out heart. “Sans.... How did we get here?” you sign to him with trembling hands.

“Ah, shit! Kiddo, just calm down. You’re alright! We just took a shortcut.” Sans said rubbing your back in an attempt to comfort you. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. It’s just you were exhausted after what happened yesterday and I wanted you to get as much rest as you could....Shit, I’m sorry okay? Teleporting was a bad idea...”

Teleport? Is that what you just experienced? You allowed yourself a few moments to calm down and looked at Sans with wide and impressed eyes. “You can teleport?”

“Er, yes...?” He says letting you go on your wobbly knees. Only to have to catch you by your shoulders as you begin to fall . “Sorry, again.... Teleporting is always rough the first time.”

“That’s so cool!” you sign to him excitedly, as you regained your balance and he chuckles. Once you are stable, you both walk up to the doors and Sans stops you.

“Let me go in first....” He said scratching the back of his skull. “Mettaton might have a surprise confetti cannon on the other side....or a laser light show....”

“”He wouldn’t. Why would he do that?” you sign to him, curiously.

“It wouldn’t be the first time....” Sans mumbled under his breath before going inside and leaving you alone, outside the building.

You lean against the wall and take a look around. This place was busy. There was a line of fans leading down the sidewalk. A sign stood off to the side saying “ Studio tour. 1 hour wait” You whistled. That was one hell of a wait and that was for the people right next to the building. It’s a good thing you shouldn’t have to deal with it. The door to MTT Studios opens and you see a boney hand beckoning you inside.

As you walk through the door, you see the large and elaborate entry room. Framed posters of the past movies, concerts, and shows that Mettaton was in, lined the pink and black walls. The line of people stopped about halfway across the room with a bouncer waiting at the end of it to let the next tour group begin. Your eyes scan everything. Just taking the grandeur of the room in. “This place is....so big!” you sign to no one in particular.

Sans gives you a chuckle. “That’s Mettaton, for you. Speaking of...I’m surprised he isn’t here to greet you personally. He probably got caught up with something on set. Lemme go see if I can’t find him.” The stout skeleton seems disappear and you are alone once again. 

Your legs wander over to the receptionist, who appeared to be some kind of hand monster? You give her a light wave and with a groan she turns to you.

“Can I help you, Ma’am?” her voice high pitched and with a bit of sneer. You nod and place the piece of paper that Mettaton gave you on the counter. The receptionist took it and looked it over. “And....what is this?”

“Mettaton, gave it to me. He wanted me to be here at this time.” you signed to her and she gives you a perplexed look.

“Ma’am. What are you doing?” She slide the piece of paper back over to you. “Look. If this is just a ruse to go see Mettaton, then let me tell you. It won’t work. You can’t just cut the line with just a piece of paper. Go wait over there like everyone else.”

You scoffed at her. “I am not some crazy fan girl! I was told to come here!” your hands signed fast with anger.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow at you. “Ma’am. If you aren’t going to say anything then go wait in line, like everyone else.”

Angry tears started forming at your cheeks. Why had you forgotten your white board at home? Why did this receptionist not know sign language? The one sided conversation had caught the attention of the crowd and complaints started to arise from them.

“Hey! No cutting!”

“Get to the end of the line!”

“You have to wait like everyone else!” 

Your foot stomped the ground in frustration as you tried to convey your words to the receptionist. You pulled out your phone to type out your words and in the reflection of the screen you could see that several fans had jumped the velvet rope and were approaching you. A hand grabs your shoulder and you wiggle out their grasp. You turn on them and start backing up into your backpack hits the wall. Angry people surrounded you, preventing any means of escape.

Angry hands grabbed out at you and you slide to the ground in an attempt to escape them. Fear pushing your heart into over drive. You grip at your chest and curl into a little ball, while fighting back pained tears. What was with these crazy fans? You hadn’t done anything wrong. This was just a big misunderstanding!

As you focused on calming yourself, you heard the voice of the receptionist play through the speakers, “Security, to the front desk. Security, to the front desk!”.

Within moments, burly security guards approached the crowd and the people pressed up against you to escape their strong hands. What the hell was going on? There was to much commotion and there were to many people about. They were all yelling. To much movement. To many voices! You pressed your face to your knees trembling. This was not how this day was supposed to go. Not an attack now... Please....someone help!

“ENOUGH, DARLINGS! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?”

A loud slightly robotic voice cut above the crowd and everyone froze. You glance up from your knees. All the people around you completely blocking your view. Taking this moment of reprieve, you take your phone and type a desperate text to Sans. You hit send and a phone goes off, with the ring tone Lazybones by Green Day, on the other side of the crowd. There was no way that was a coincidence. The ring tone came to a stop as the text was read in silence.

 _ **“Move.”**_

The slightly robotic voice, that was once just confused, now had a rather menacing tone to it. The crowd parted around you as the clacking of heels got closer until it fully parted to reveal Mettaton, with Sans behind him. You had never seen the monster idol this way. Judging by the reactions of everyone else, neither had they. Mettaton looked absolutely livid. His eyes raked the crowd until they landed on the terrified trembling person on the floor, that was you. Seeing you like that seemed to peak the robot star’s anger even more.

“What do you think you are doing....to my little songbird?” He addressed the crowd, his voice low and threatening. As if to challenge anyone to speak up for their actions. But no one did. He walked through the crowd over to you and everyone cowered away to hide from his angry eyes. When they land on you they soften and he holds out his hand to you.“Are you alright?”

You look up at him, while still focusing on your breathing. With a nervous nod, you take his hand and try to get stand up. But you fail. Your trembling legs give out from under you. Great. Not only did you look like a sniveling mess but now you were about to face plant the ground in front of Mettaton. Only it doesn’t come. Metallic arms wrap under your body and you feel yourself being lifted. Your body pressed against cool metal, as Mettaton elegantly caught you before you hit the ground and held you protectively close. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” he whispered reassuringly in your ear.

Mettaton then stood up, while holding you, and walked away from the crowd. He then turned on his heel and you could only imagine the glare he gave those fans who had hassled you, by the way they cringed in shame. “This kind of behavior will not be tolerated under ANY circumstances. Security escort those people out.” His full of anger and authority. Wow, no cute pet names. The robot idol must be more pissed off than you thought.

With that, Mettaton carried you down a long hallway, past the receptionist’s desk. You let your head rest on the cool metal of his shoulder and listened to the whirring fan in his chest, allowing the combination to soothe you. Your heart and breathing returning to normal. This was going to be a tough day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! This chapter is slightly longer but Mettaton finally makes an appearance. Also I must thank my good friend Luna for helping me by being my test dummy for this story. Without bouncing ideas off of her Maid Papyrus wouldn't be a thing. Also...can I please get some fan art of maid Papyrus? Please? PLEEAASSEEE? It's to cute! thank you so much for again for reading. Keep commenting and the like because I want to hear your thoughts!~ Calix


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I can't believe this. 100 kudos and over 1000 hits! That's absolutely amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much for reading this and please continue to comment. I want feedback on my work since I'm still new to writing FanFiction. Can we still make Maid Papyrus a thing? Also the song is something that I wrote. It's completely original and if you plan on using it please give me a heads up. Thank you all again, Darlings~ Arzuera
> 
> kyaaaaa so happy :D

“This wasn’t supposed to go this way! To think that a full blown riot could have happened.... or worse!” Mettaton mumbled angrily to himself, as he paced in front of you in his glamorous office. After a brief walk down a few hallways, the robot star had brought you to his personal office, in the studio. He had gently laid you on the window seat that was set in a bay window and set your bag on the floor. Then asked if you would like some relaxing tea and if you were okay. You nodded shakily to both and the robot had opened a nearby mini-fridge, handing you a bottle. Once the door was closed and you appeared to be alright, the monster robot commenced to pace and rant angrily to no one in particular.

So here you sat, in the beautiful bay window that should have showed the city but instead it changed. It showed a cave waterfall with crystals embedded in rock that shimmered like stars, after a few minutes it changed to a beautiful snowy landscape and it continued to change to places you have never seen before. It was very calming. How an office had a bay window, you weren’t sure but it was Mettaton so it wasn’t exactly surprising. The rest of the office seemed to be an extension of his personality. Just like everything he does. You laid back against the ever changing window and sipped at your tea,watching the really pissed off robot star in silence.

After a few more minutes of ranting, Mettaton stopped. He ran his hand through his silky black hair and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Songbird.”

You cocked your head at him in mid sip, using your eyes to ask him to elaborate. Mettaton moved to sit on the edge of his desk. “Your arrival wasn’t supposed to go that way. The receptionist knew you were arriving but I guess she didn’t read the email I sent her about the note. I’ll have to deal with that...” he said taking a mental note before continuing. “I was supposed to be there to greet you but something happened on set that kept me back there longer than it should have. If Sans hadn’t of showed up when he did...”

Mettaton allowed that thought to trail off, as your phone vibrated in your pocket. You held up a finger to signal him to wait a moment and pulled out your phone. A text from Sans lighting up the screen. This skeleton was good at timing whether on purpose or not.

**Sans 11:20am**

**Hey, neighbor. Glad we were able to get to you in time. I didn’t know you would so popular. Looks like you made a _Metta-ton_ of friends while I was gone. Puns aside, give me a heads up if you are staying or coming home. I’ll come get’cha.**

You rolled your eyes at the pun. It was a bit of a stretch. “Who is it, my songbird?” Mettaton asked. Flipping the phone around, you showed him the text. He leaned in and let a groan out at the pun. “Well, that was my next question solved. I was wondering how you knew one of the skeleton brothers. So you got here via teleport, huh?” Another nod as you respond to Sans telling him that you were okay and weren’t sure about tonight’s plans.

“Hm... That won’t do.” Mettaton stood up and sat next to you in the bay window seat. “I’ll have transportation provided to and from your house. I don’t want to put Sans out and I don’t want what happened earlier to happen without someone to help you.” You put your phone back into your pocket and smile up at him. Your hands starting to move with the words thank you when the door is slammed open.

In the doorway stood an orange cat monster...with a really weird face. “Sorry to intrude but we need you on stage, Sir.”

“Yes, yes... I know the issue from before hasn’t been resolved yet. Here, darling. Take this little songbird’s things up to her room at MTT resort.” Mettaton stood up again and had picked up your bag. “Do you need anything out of it?” he turned to you and you hopped up quickly. You dug out your song notebook and music notebook, before zipping the bag back up. Mettaton gave the bag to the flustered cat monster when you smiled up at him.

“Y-yes, Sir!” the cat then dashed off and Mettaton followed him out into the hallway, beckoning you to follow.

“Come along, little songbird.” he said with his hand outstretched to you. “Let me show you where you will be working for a while.”

Eagerly, You take his hand and follow him through the labyrinth that was MTT studios. It was busy. People and monsters bustled about, running from one destination to the next. Unconsciously, you pressed close to Mettaton, in an attempt to make yourself smaller and to stay out of everyone’s way. The robot star chuckled at you. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you get run over.”

Eventually, the long hallways open up into a large backstage area. Sound people, lighting people, make up artists, stage hands, all of them bustled about to prepare for whatever presentation they were setting up for. Mettaton guides you past all of them to the front of the stage. The curtains were drawn and the lights were on in the stadium sized auditorium. It was just massive. Thousands of chairs lined the building that were soon to be filled with fans from all around the world.

Yet, here you were. Center stage. Just like you had always dreamed. You released Mettaton’s hand and clapped the notebooks to your mouth in an attempt to hold back happy tears. This was it. You were finally here. Despite all the odds, you were here! Screw having a weak heart and not being able to speak. You had made it! The feeling of happiness was overwhelming. Tears threatened to fall but you held them back. Now wasn’t the time. Pink eyes watched your reaction thoughtfully for a few moments. “It is magnificent isn’t it.”

His words brought you back to reality and a blush shot across your face. You moved your notebooks to cover your face in embarrassment. Why had you just slipped into your own thoughts like that? His metallic laugh rang out as he ruffled your hair. “No need to be shy, my songbird. It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?” You nod slowly, clutching your notebooks to your chest.

“METTATON! Can you come check the way the set is going?” a voice called out from the back.

The robot idol gave you a smile. “Duty calls, my dear. Why don’t you look around until I get back?” He headed to the back and left you there. Center stage.

Now that you were grounded again, you took in the rest of the stage. The enormity of it all still baffling you. This stage was big enough to fit a whole orchestra with plenty of room to spare! As you turn to look towards the back of the stage, your eyes grow wide. There in the back corner was a ghost. He stood behind an elaborate DJ setup. This wasn’t some thrown together setup. It was state of the art. You wandered over to it curiously, slowly approaching the timid ghost. The ghost looked up and noticed your admiring eyes.

“Oh........ Hello.....” the ghost’s voice was barely above a whisper. You give him a friendly smile and put your notebooks on a little table next to the DJ stand.

“Hello, my name is (y/n). Nice to meet you.” your hands flowing with the sign language. Wait...Did the ghost even know sign language? Once again, you mentally berate yourself for forgetting your white board at home.

“I’m Napstablook.... Nice to meet you too....”

You let out a sigh of relief. “What are you up to?”

Napstablook seemed to perk up a bit. “I’m just working on the set up for the next live concert here. Tomorrow is the next one and I’m in charge of the music.... Would you like to help? You don’t have too if you don’t want to.....”

Your head nodded up and down excitedly. The ghost moved over to make room for you and you took your place next to him in the booth. The next hour or so passes by in a flash. With Napstablook’s guidance you set up the music and test out new things for the concert. 

“This is so cool!” you sign to him excitedly.

“Yeah.... Well we are done early....... Wanna play around with it a bit?” the nervous ghost asks and your eyes grow wide.

“Can I?” you sign to him hesitantly.

The ghost bobbed his head in a nod. “Sure.... I’ve already saved the play list in a back up file....”

Well, if it was backed up and you wouldn’t lose the work you had already done....You didn’t need to be asked twice. Your fingers dance across the controls as you figure out what the expensive DJ booth had to offer. Napstablook would offer his input until you pulled him over to play on the controls too. 

Various sounds and melodies played through the speakers due to your collaboration. It didn’t take long until you both had a song playing. The melody was a ghostly techno tune with upbeat undertones. Shaking your hips, you start to dance in the booth and pull Napstablook to do the same. Eventually, working your way out of the tiny booth and onto the stage. Was anyone watching? Who cares? You only stop when you see a familiar robot idol standing at the center of the stage. His black locks bouncing as he bobbed his head to the music and his pink heels tapping the stage in sync with the beat.

When had Mettaton gotten back? How had he snuck by Napstablook and you in the first place? You both had stopped dancing and were watching Mettaton curiously. He continued to bob his head to the beat until a playful smirk stretched across his face. Immediately, the robot idol started to dance, keeping to the beat of the music effortlessly.

He then stopped in a dramatic pose with his face to the floor while his body faced the auditorium, as if all the seats were filled with fans. A microphone in his hand. His face shot up and he gave the imaginary crowd a playful smoldering look, bringing the microphone to his lips. Mettaton began to sing.

_“How do you think I move and speak?_

_It’s my SOUL~_

_And, Darling, it ain’t too weak.”_

Mettaton’s sultry voice filled the entire room and rang out loud.

_“Darling, don’t treat me like I’m metal trash._

_You’ll break my heart,_

_And I’ll turn to ash.”_

Napstablook and you stood there behind him entranced. This wasn’t your song but it wasn’t a song that you had heard from him before, either. Was he making up this song off the top of his head?

_“Sweetheart, I was born to entertain!_

_As if it was programmed,_

_Into my own brain.”_

Mettaton seemed to be in his own world. Performing 100% to a crowd that wasn’t even there. The robot idol dominated the stage.

_“Just look around, at the crowd._

_They’re chanting my name_

_And screaming it out loud!”_

Sensing the change of tone in Mettaton’s voice, you dashed back into the DJ booth. Pulling Napstablook with you. Without a word, you two worked in sync. Pushing the buttons and knobs at the right time to change the song into it’s next phase.

_“Darling, please understand_

_It’s your love I’m striving for,_

_Your heart beating is melting up my core!”_

The robot idol twirled and stopped abruptly, holding his hands to where his heart would be. He then thrust his arms out to the imaginary crowd, as if he was yearning for them.

_“Bring out your SOUL and let me take a stand._

_I want to see it dance about,_

_It will be beautiful! Of this I have no doubt.”_

It was as if Napstablook, Mettaton, and you were on another plane. Working in tandem without saying anything to one another.

_“Darling, I’m more than just some metal parts._

_Don’t tell me that I’m wrong_

_Or I’ll make you Reset to start_  
.  
By the end of this song!” 

Reset to start? What on earth did that mean? You watch Mettaton do another dramatic pose and from the tone of his voice you can tell he is going to repeat the first part of the song. So you take the lead and transition the music back to what it was before.

_“How do you think I move and speak?_

_It’s my SOUL~_

_And, Darling, it ain’t to weak.”_

At the end of the line, Mettaton struck a pose and spot lights of purple and pink struck him flatteringly. What? You look back and see that the once busy stage hands had picked up on your impromptu performance.

_“Darling, don’t treat me like I’m metal trash._

_You’ll break my heart,_

_And I’ll turn to ash.”_

Special effect professionals were making a fog appear on the stage. Allowing the light effect professionals to play around. The fog changing various shades of purple and pink.

_“Sweetheart, I was born to entertain!_

_As if it was programmed,_

_Into my own brain.”_

The extra dancers waltzed out and followed Mettaton’s movements while adding in some of their own choreographed dances. 

_“Just look around at the crowd._

_They’re chanting my name_

_And screaming it out loud!”_

Cheers rang out from the front of the stage and you looked forward to see the other stage hands in the audience. Make up artists, costume designers, concert coordinators, and other tech people jumped up and down to the music. Yelling out Mettaton’s name, as the song had requested.

While you were still taking in the fact that this was no longer just a fun little song but a full on performance, Napstablook had taken over and transitioned the song into a more fast paced beat. Mettaton back flipped to center stage and fluidly dropped to his knees. The whole stage went dark, as he slowly rose back up on to his feet. As if on cue, the lights shot back onto the robot idol brightly and he thrust his face back up and gave the crowd a rather confident sexy sneer.

_“Beautiful heart_

_Perfectly smart_

_Listen as the crowd begs and pleads._

_Together let’s grab the reins and take the lead._

_Let’s raise the charts!_

_With drama, violence, bloodshed gaining speed,_

_Don’t stop until we’re all freed!”_

Mettaton starts strutting towards the impromptu audience. His confident sneer piercing the crowd.

_“Strutting out on the stage,_

_I break out from my cage._

_Darling, you know, I’m all the rage_

_With these absolutely gorgeous robot legs~”_

The robot poses with emphasis on his legs. Sticking his tongue out playfully to the crowd as he poses. At the end of the rap, the crowd swells and cheers. You take back over the controls and extend it out. Allowing Mettaton and the back up dancers to do a beautiful dance solo. They flit across the stage and when they get back to their original positions you wind the song back down. Transitioning it back to the beginning of the song and Mettaton takes his cue. Addressing the audience once again, he sings out.

_“How do you think I move and speak?_

_It’s my SOUL_

_And, Darling, it ain’t to weak._

_Darling, don’t treat me like I’m metal trash._

_You’ll break my heart,_

_And I’ll turn to ash._

_Sweetheart, I was born to entertain!_

_As if it was programmed,_

_Into my own brain._

_Just look around at the crowd._

_They’re chanting my name_

_And screaming it out loud!”_

At the last note, Mettaton strikes a final pose. You let the music fade and the lights go out dramatically. Moments later everyone is cheering. The light effects, special effects, back up dancers.... Everyone. Even Napstablook is swaying happily back and forth. You jump up and down clapping your hands together. Energy buzzing through your whole body from the performance.

After a few moments, the lights come back on and back to the way they were before. With a big smile, Mettaton takes a bow before pointing back at you and Napstablook in the booth. “Let’s hear it for (y/n) and Blooky!” The moment it left his mouth the crowd started chanting Napstablook’s and your name. You bashfully wave to everyone and then kind of try to hide by kneeling behind the booth. 

Mettaton’s laughter rings through the speakers. “Alright, Darlings. As much fun as this was, it’s time to get back to work. Come on, everyone!” The robot clapped his hands and playful groans emitted from his employees. They all went back to what they were doing before the impromptu show. Once everyone was back to what they were supposed to be doing, Mettaton walked over to Napstablook and you. Still clapping. The microphone turned off. “Bravo, Bravo, You two! That was quite the performance after just meeting.”

You grab the sides of your jacket and give a slight curtsy. Napstablook bowing his head. A slight blush on the ghost’s face. “You... think so?.... I didn’t do much.....” the small voice coming from the blushing ghost.

Whirling around you shake your head at the shy ghost. “Napstablook, you were amazing! Don’t you ever sell yourself short!” you signed at him determined.

“My! My! My!” you turned at Mettaton’s surprised voice to see his eyes wide in shock. “I noticed you weren’t talkative but I didn’t think tha-”

“Yep, I’m mute.” you sign to him, cutting him off with a smile. “I would have said something earlier but things kept happening before I had a chance. Wait...” you turn to Napstablook. “Can Mettaton understand sign language?”

“Oh, I can understand you perfectly, my little songbird.” Mettaton shook his head. “Once again, I must apologize for my actions, earlier. No wonder all that stuff happened this morning.”

You shake your head fervently. “No! No no no no no! You didn’t know.” signing to him quickly. 

“Well.... “ Mettaton began to say but then stopped.

“SIR! We need you in the back again!”

Mettaton let out a sigh as he turned to the back. “Coming! Oh!” he turned back to you and pulled out a card with a pass from a compartment on his hip. “Here. This is the key card to your room at MTT Resort and this is your all access pass to the back of MTT Studios. Just show this to the receptionist and the fiasco from earlier should be avoided.”

“Thank you very much!” you sign to him before taking the laminated items. You put the card in your pocket and pin the pass to your shirt.

“Oh! Why don’t you both head off for a late lunch. So long as you have the that pass you’ll get free meals at the restaurant in the resort. This may take me a while.” He gave you a wave and vanished in to the clutches of the back stage.

“You are..... new to this area right?” Napstablook asked as he floated next to you. With a nod, you pick up your song notebooks off the side table. “Then.... let me show you...” He floated off and you followed close behind.

That proved harder than you thought. Since Napstablook was a ghost he often just ghosted through walls and people. Only to realize that you weren’t able to follow and come back. So after getting lost a few times, you finally exited MTT studios and walked down the side walk to MTT Resort. Somehow the place seemed even bigger than the studio next door.

The double doors slid open to reveal the first floor. It was divided in half. One half was the reception area for the hotel and the other half was a 5 star restaurant. But it wasn’t as packed as you thought it would be. Then again, it was late afternoon. Napstablook floated over to a booth and you followed.

“Oh..... I brought my own lunch....” he said looking at the nothingness on the table.

“Do you mind translating for me?” you sign to him, looking at the monsters and people working behind the counter. “I left my white board at home and it’s a pain to type everything out in a text.”

“Sure....”

He followed you up to the counter and you ordered. However you weren’t exactly sure what you ordered. You placed your notebooks on the table and went back to get your food when your number was called. A bright pink hamburger with edible glitter called a Glamburger almost blinded you. You sit down, placing the tray of food next to your notebooks and begin to chow down. Despite how it looked, it was actually really good. No wonder it was a 5 star restaurant. Napstablook hummed contentedly eating.....something?

“What are you eating?” you ask him, after you polish off your Glamburger.

“A ghost sandwich... you want some?”

“Yes!” you say eagerly. A ghost sandwich? Do those things even exist? “Want a trade for some of my Starfait?”

“Sure....” He appears to push something forward, as you offer the ghost some of the sparkly beverage. You try to pick at the spot where you thought he may have put something...only to come up with air. “Oh..... I’m sorry... You probably can’t touch it....”

You shake your head and just munch on some fries. “I bet it’s delicious!” you sign to the timid ghost with smile. For some reason you felt that you always had to cheer him on. He was so sweet... “So how do you know sign language?”

“That’s.... the way the monster ambassador speaks.... I kinda just picked up on it....” said Napstablook. “That’s probably how Mettaton learned it too.....”

Impressive. Learning sign language is hard for people who don’t learn it at an early age. The fact that they put in the effort to understand their human friend was rather sweet.

“So...” you began to sign not sure where to take the conversation.

“What is your job?.... You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want too... Are you here to replace me?..... If so I would understand.... I knew Mettaton woul-”

BAM!

You hit the table hard to get the ghost’s attention and pull him out of his self destructive criticism. Your hand stung a bit from the impact. “I am not here to replace you.” you sign to him adamantly. “I won the song contest that Mettaton held.”

“Oh... I read that song... I liked it a lot.”

Had your song been that much of a hit? Your confidence soaring, you both continued to chat a bit about music until Napstablook had to head back to work and you let him go. He floats away and leaves you alone in the booth. Pushing your tray to the side, you flip open your song notebook and set to work. Your pencil flying across the page, letting the outside world fall away as you play with words. It doesn’t take long for all the excitement and earlier events to catch up to you. Your eyelids droop and you rest your head in your arms on the table. Pushing the notebook to the other side, sleep overtakes you and you allow yourself to drift off for a bit.

A soft humming noise pulls you from your slumber. Slumber? How long have you been out? Your eyes blink open and you turn your head towards the sound. Mettaton was leaned back against the wall in the other booth side of the booth with his legs stretched out across the seat, humming an unknown tune. His eyes reading the notebook in his hand. What is he reading? You lift your head a bit and notice that your song notebook wasn’t where you left it when you fell asleep. He was reading it! The song notebook that held every song idea you have ever written. Personal or for the public. He was reading it.... Shit.

With a embarrassed blush, you tap the table to get the robot idol’s attention. He glances up at you from over the notebook. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have fallen asleep... Can I have that back?” you sign to him, clearly flustered. 

A slightly metallic chuckle rumbles from his chest. “ Don’t worry about it. The past few events were.... Exciting, to put it mildly. It’s only natural. As for this...” Mettaton waved the notebook at you. “Lemme finish reading this one, my little songbird.”

You wait patiently as his pink eyes scour the page. His voice once again humming. Maybe he was humming the words of the song? Once he was done, he closed the notebook and handed it back to you.

“.....Well?” you signed to him nervously. Awaiting the entertainer’s verdict on your songs.

“It’s a shame....” He began dramatically. “ I had hoped to hear the little song bird sing but instead all I can do is read the beautiful words formed into wonderful songs that go unspoken. I shall repeat.... It’s a shame....” Mettaton actually looked sad as he said this. Were your songs really that good? But at the same time he wasn’t exactly right.

“That isn’t true. You were humming the lyrics weren’t you?” you signed to him with a smile.

“Yes, bu-”

“Then doesn’t that make you my voice?”

Mettaton’s eyes grew wide and.... was Mettaton blushing? “Well.... That is one way to put it. If that’s the way you see it.... Then, I’m honored. If you keep coming up with songs like these I may have to become your voice... permanently.”

What? What did he just say? Did he..just hint what you thought he just hinted at. Your mind went into overdrive and he chuckled at your response. 

“Do... you mean that?” you signed to him slowly, trying to think of the words.

“Hmm... Only time will tell...” Mettaton said, giving you a teasing wink. At that he stood up and ran his hand through his black locks, while offering his other hand to you. “Come along, I need my songbird back at the studio.” Still in minor shock, you take his hand and allow him to guide you back to the stage. What just happened?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this. It's a little bit longer so I hope that made up for it. Things got a little bust last week so I didn't have that much time! :(

The door to your room swings open, with a slow creak, and you keep moving until you collapse on the huge bed, tossing your notebooks to the side. Darkness filled the room until you turned on the light on the night stand. It was really late. After Mettaton had came to get you, you had gone back to the stage in the studio. Everyone had left once the rehearsal was over, including Napstablook. So it was just Mettaton and you. Which he said was perfect because there wouldn’t be any distractions. Turns out, he wanted to figure out how your song would go and that is what you worked on....until 1 am.

It was obvious that he didn’t need to sleep like everyone else. You had started to fall asleep on the stage when he finally noticed. He promptly apologized for keeping you so late and escorted you to the resort without any hesitation. You two had separated when you arrived to the floor of your room. Then it was the groggy walk down the hallway and here you were, sprawled out on the plush bed. Allowing your body to merge with the blanket.

Your head was still swimming with everything that had happened today. The almost riot, the impromptu performance, going to the restaurant with Napstablook, and Mettaton reading your notebook....It was definitely a full day. Your thoughts turned to what the robot had said before you went back to the studio. What had Mettaton meant when he said that he would be your voice permanently? Did he really mean that he would hire you on as a songwriter for him? Towards the end it sounded like he was teasing but you never really know with Mettaton. That robot was unpredictable. He was also a perfectionist.

You learned that fairly quickly as you had sat on the stage listening to him sing your song in different ways. He tried various accents and tones. Some words got more emphasis and others were short. Every single time he sang, he changed it. Once he was done with a change, he would ask your input. Mettaton would listen very carefully and then would offer his own opinion sometimes. That robot may seem like a playful diva but when it’s time to work he buckles down. It was no wonder how he rose up to stardom as quickly as he did. Mettaton knew what he was doing.

A deep yawn escapes you, as you stretch out on the comfy bet. Your hand hits something and you look up. It’s your backpack. That’s right the cat monster had dropped it off here earlier. You were almost tempted to fall asleep right now but tomorrow was going to be just as busy. So sitting up, you pull the bag to you and start to go through it, pulling out all the things you would need: hair brush, pajamas, other toiletries. It was best to get a shower and all of that done now instead of having to rush tomorrow.

Just as you were about to hop off the bed, there was a knock at the door and you turn to see the weird cat monster from earlier, in the doorway. Wait. Why was the door open? He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to just barge in unannounced. Had you not closed the door when you came in? Whoops. That could have been bad. You took in the appearance of the monster and you felt a small pain in your chest. The poor guy looked more ragged than you felt. Bags were under his eyes and he was trying to smile. Yet, it was obvious the cat was extremely tired.

“Evening, buddy. My name is Burgerpants. You can call me BP. Mettaton told me to come and help you with anything you may need.” He said, leaning against the door frame.

With a tired smile, you waved to him and beckoned him to come in. “You look more tired than I am.” you sign to him. Hoping that he can understand sign language.

“You have no idea. Being Mettaton’s right hand guy... is exhausting...and that’s putting it mildly.” says the tired cat rubbing his eyes. “I’ve still got a truckload of things to do before I can even attempt to sleep.” Apparently, he does.

“What more do you have to do?” you ask him curiously. “Also... right hand man?” Scooting over on the large bed, you pat the spot next to you and he gratefully sits down.

“Thanks, little buddy. I’m Mettaton’s manager. What doesn’t go through him, goes through me and that includes more than his entertainment career. That includes whatever else that busy robot is involved in.” he stretched looking like he was glad to be off his feet. The orange cat then lays back onto the bed with a contented sigh. You probably shouldn’t have let a stranger just walk in and lay on your bed. Yet, it almost looked like this was the first time he has had a chance to relax and you felt bad for the poor guy. If he was what he said he was....he was in charge of a lot of things. Mettaton seemed to have his metallic hands involved in a little bit of everything. “Oh. This was dropped off at the receptionist for you earlier.” Burgerpants passed you a white board with a dry erase marker. Your eyes lit up and you picked it up happily. How had it gotten here? You asked the orange cat the question and he gave a shrug. “I don’t know....I think a short skeleton dropped it off? I don’t exactly remember what the receptionist said.”

Had Sans dropped it off? Wait....SANS! You got so swept up in what happened today that you never properly texted him back. He probably assumed you were staying, at this point, but you had to say something. It would be rude not too. Quickly, you whip out your phone. Your fingers flying across the keyboard.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**Sorry for the delay! Things got a little busy! I will be staying at MTT resort tonight but I should be home tomorrow...?**

Hitting the send button, it was whisked off into cyberspace. Ending on a note of uncertainty because it was true. You weren’t sure if you were able to go home tomorrow. A few seconds later your phone lit up.

**Sans 1:45 am**

**_Butter_ late than never, kiddo. Just give me a heads up. Paps has the whole place sparkling but you may need a few new.... _hidden weapons._**

Your reread the last part a couple of times with wide eyes. Oh no. Dread prickled up your spine and caused goosebumps to form on your skin. What had the innocent naive skeleton done with your bras? You almost asked Sans but thought better of it. Ignorance is bliss. Burgerpants was watching you curiously, as the color drained from your face, but didn’t pry. Instead of speaking up, you let the cat relax and replied to Sans.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**That pun was a bit of a stretch. Thank you for dropping off my white board. I would have died of _boardom_ without it!**

Putting the phone down, you commenced to dig through your backpack. Now that you thought of it, you owed Sans a lot. He has been watching out for you for a while now. There had to be a way to pay him back. The cat monster watched you for a few moments before it appeared that he remembered something.“Oh! By the way, I have these for you.” Burgerpants pulled out 3 tickets from his pocket and handed them to you. “These are for the concert tomorrow. You have extras to invite any good friends or family.”

The tickets weren’t just normal tickets. They were for front row seats and the gold seal on them meant that all three of you could get backstage. You whistled. These would have been outrageously expensive. Mettaton’s shows were insanely popular and these were the first things to sell out when a show happens. Looks like you had a chance to pay him back after all. “Thank you!” you sign to Burgerpants, who just gives you a shrug, quickly grabbing your phone again.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**Speaking of _boardom_ , are you and Papyrus free tomorrow? I have tickets to Mettaton’s live concert and I’m supposed to invite my _good_ friends.**

“Who are you inviting?” spoke up Burgerpants curiously.

“My two good friends.” you sign, then place the tickets in your wallet. There was no way you were going to chance losing them.

“Well, as relaxing as this is, little buddy, I need to get back to work.”said the cat as he sat up. “Oh, here is my number. Text if you need anything. I will do what I can. Is there anything I can get you before I head out?”

It was rather late and your stomach growled out loud in response. The orange cat gave you a playful smirk. You look down, hiding in your hair. “Maybe something to eat?” you ask him with an embarrassed blush.

“You got it, little buddy.” with that said Burgerpants left and made sure to close the door. When you first saw the guy, his expressions seemed a little odd but its obvious he is a nice guy. They were just misleading. The way he talked about Mettaton it seems that they have been working together for awhile. How long had they known each other?

Shaking your head, you pulled yourself out of your thoughts. Everything you needed to get ready was on the bed. You glanced at your phone one last time with no answer from Sans. Maybe he went to ask Papyrus about it? With a shrug, you decided you could check it after you changed and had a shower. Wandering through the room, you headed to the bathroom.

The shower was amazing. Water fired at you, in three different directions, and if you played music, on the specific radio station installed, it synced to whatever song was playing. How cool is that? Why do these things exist and why hadn’t you tried one before? Silently chuckling at your own thoughts, you allowed the warm water to ease the stress away and revitalize you a bit. This room was awesome: the bed was massive and plush, the decor was tasteful, the shower was amazing, you even had a balcony! Mettaton had made sure to put you in one of the better rooms, unless all the rooms in MTT resort are like this. You would have to thank him later.

By the time you were done, room service had brought up a small feast to your room. Burgerpants didn’t hold back. But then again, you hadn’t told him what you wanted to eat. You make a plate of some of your favorites and ate quickly. Oh man. It was some of the best food that had ever touched your tongue. You had to be careful if they were planning on taking care of you like this. You might never leave. Remembering you were waiting for a reply from Sans, you pick up your phone and sure enough there was one unread text.

**Sans 2:15 am**

**Sounds like fun. We haven’t seen one of Mettaton’s live shows, in a long while. Papyrus is already preparing for it. We’ll be there.**

 

This was awesome! Now you get to hang out with your friends at one of the most popular concerts in the world. You text him the details and put your phone on the nightstand. Drowsiness starting to set in. There still was a lot of food left and you didn’t want it to go to waste. So you transferred what you could to the mini fridge in your room. Setting your plate with the stuff that didn’t need to be refrigerated, you run and launch yourself at the bed, landing on it with a bounce. This time you let yourself fuse with the comforter and sheets. Sleep enveloping you in its nice embrace.

Morning came to soon. Not that you were sleepy. You felt like a kid on Christmas. So you slept a couple hours only to wake up fully rested and wired. Thus you continued to lay in bed until 8 am, before throwing in the towel. Taking your stuff to the bathroom you change and prep for the day, making sure to check yourself in the mirror. You pin the pass to your shirt and grab your phone, wallet, and whiteboard. There was no way you were going to forget that again. Heading to the studio, you stop to grab some breakfast from the restaurant, on the way.

The studio doors open wide as you walk into the entryway. The place was deserted compared to yesterday. Thank God. You weren’t sure if you wanted a repeat of what happened the day before. The same receptionist sat behind her desk yawning. She must have just gotten in. Walking up to her, you write a greeting to her on your whiteboard and she gives a grunt in response. Rude. Maybe she wasn’t a morning person? When you put down the white board, the receptionist’s eyes grew wide at seeing the pass pinned to your shirt. Without a word or hesitation, she hit a button and the doors to the studio opened for you. No attitude. No snark. Nothing of what happened yesterday. Good. You gave her a smile and started down the labyrinth that was MTT Studios. 

After getting lost a few times, you somehow managed to get to the stage. Unlike the rest of the studio, there were a few people here already. A couple of them yawned while the others were hard at work on something. You didn’t want to get in the way so you walked out onto the empty stage.

There was more on it now. A few guitars sat off to the side on a rack and there appeared to be a proper background now. You walk until you are center stage and sit down, looking out at the empty auditorium that would soon be filled with thousands of fans. Your eyes kept wandering over to the acoustic guitar. It was black and pink. Just like everything else the robot idol used. There was a point in Mettaton’s shows where he sits on a stool and plays a song on the guitar. He would address the crowd like they were his close family and just sing to them. It made the show more personal and endearing.

No longer able to resist, you got up and walked over to the guitar, picking it up. It was an expensive guitar. Letting your fingers drift over the strings, you played a few experimental notes on it. A nice melody played in response. The Gibson Les Paul was in tune. They were definitely prepared for the show. You walk back to the center of the stage and sit down again. Thinking back to all the research you did on Mettaton’s music, you start to play one of his classic songs. One of the first songs that he debuted with. As you play, more and more people start to show up. They all seemed in a rush as they tried to finish up any last touches.

“Hey! Songbird!”

You look up at your nickname and notice that one of the interns was walking over to you. Did he not know your name other than what Mettaton called you the other day? That or Mettaton only called you that to the others? But he said your name over the speakers yesterday. Maybe the others were just picking up on the nickname? You shrugged off the thought as another emerged forth. Was he gonna be mad that you were playing with the guitar? Oh no...That was something you hadn’t thought of when you picked it up. A guilty look spread across your face as you offered the guitar back to him. He waved it off.

“We heard you playing it. If you didn’t know what you were doing someone would have stepped in by now. Actually, you helped us out. We have to check them anyway and now we know that one is in tune. With that in mind....” the intern turned and gestured to the others on the rack. “Mind helping us out? We still have a lot to do and an extra set of hands is always nice.”

“I don’t know a lot about the things that happen backstage.” You had set the guitar down and wrote out what you said on the white board.

The intern read your message and smiled. “That’s not a problem. You could start by checking if all the guitars are in tune, then just ask around. You’ll be surprised at what you could help out with.”

So that’s exactly what you did. After the guitars were set, you went backstage and asked them what you could do. You did a little bit of everything: relaying messages, bringing props to one place then another, getting coffee, standing on stage so the light people can see how they look... They certainly kept you busy. It was getting close to when the concert will start when you noticed something crucial.

Mettaton hadn’t stopped by once. 

You decided to ask around and your suspicions were confirmed. No one had seen the flamboyant robot today. But everyone was to busy to even attempt to look. At the same time, they didn’t seem to be worried about it. 

“He is probably in his room preparing still.”

“Maybe he is taking a breather before the show?”

“He’ll come when it’s time. Don’t worry about it.”

This didn’t sound right to you. The perfectionist robot should be down here making sure everything is ready to go. Last night had proved as much. So you searched for him. You walked the labyrinth of the studio so much you actually started to learn it. He wasn’t in his office, break room, dressing room. Anywhere! It was as though the robot had just stopped existing. No one you asked in the studio knew where he was either.Worry fueling you, you start texting Burgerpants when you walk straight into someone.

“Whoa there, little buddy! Watch where you are goin!”

Speaking of the cat monster.

Your hands go into overdrive as you sign away, frantically. Trying to tell the manager the situation as you caught your breath from running around. Somehow Burgerpants was able to decipher out what you had said.

“To be honest, little buddy... I haven’t seen Mettaton either and I don’t have the ability to check on him right now.” Worry started to form on Burgerpants face as he dug something out of his pocket. “Here. This is the spare room key to Mettaton’s penthouse on the top floor of MTT Resort. He may still be there. Can you check up on him?”

“Of course!” you sign to him while nodding. But before you run off, you thrust two of the backstage tickets from your wallet into his hands. Ironic, since he had given them to you last night but glad that you had them on you. “Could you give these to Sans and Papyrus? They are two skeletons...” Burgerpants stops you with a knowing smile. He appeared to know who they were. With a grateful smile, you snatch the key card from his hand and run out of the building. Your heart pounded in your chest. This was the most exercise you have gotten in a long while. You passed through the entryway as people were already starting to file in for the concert. This wasn’t good. 

Everything was ignored as you ran through the doors to MTT Resort and dashed into an elevator. Panting heavily as you push the button for the top floor. Hopefully, he was just relaxing in his room. If he wasn’t here then where could he be? It’s not like you had the ability to get a hold of him.You didn’t want to think about that. It was taking all your will power so that you didn’t over excite yourself even more than you already have. The elevator ride was going to take a while and you used it to your advantage. Allowing yourself to catch you breath and calm down. By the time the doors opened to the penthouse hallway, you were relaxed once again. There wasn’t anything that needed to be worried about right? Mettaton would be fine. Just being fashionably late... Right?

You walked up to the door and gave it a good knock. The door creaked open slowly under the force and a chill went up your spine. Why was the door open? There was no way Mettaton would have left the door to his house open for anyone to just walk in. Was he in there? Had something happened? You tried to swallow back a little bit of the fear that was starting to prickle up your spine. Summoning some courage, you timidly pushed the door open all the way.

A silent scream left you as you dropped everything you were holding to the floor with a loud clatter. There, sprawled out on the floor, in front of you was Mettaton. You ran forward and collapsed to your knees next to the robot. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving. Was he attacked last night? Was he alright? What had happened? Your breathing became short and quick as dread filled the pit of your stomach. With shaking hands, you gently shook the robot in an attempt to wake him up. 

The heart in your chest picked up its pace as the fear, dread, and worry swirled in your mind. Tears started to fall, as you tried to calm yourself down. Freaking out wouldn’t help anything right now but your body wasn’t listening. Your heart beat painfully quick in your chest. You snapped your eyes closed as you continued to try and rouse the unconscious robot monster. Trying to fight off the growing attack. What do you do? Do you call for help? Who would you call? Maybe Burgerpants? Sans? The tears fell on his face as you were still trying to figure out what to do.

“Songbird?”

Your head whips up to look at Mettaton’s face. His eyes were open and he was offering an apologetic smile. He was conscious! He was okay! Well... not entirely. The poor robot appeared as though he couldn’t move. You focused on your breathing now that you could relax a bit and wiped the tears from your face. Mettaton’s eyes widened when he saw that you had been crying.

“Oh my! There’s no need to cry, Darling.” He said in a reassuring voice. “...Songbird?”

“Mettaton...? Are you ok?” you sign to him with trembling hands. Fumbling a bit with the words.

“Yes! Yes, darling! You see.... This body doesn’t have the best.....energy output, so to speak?” He began, turning his head so he could see you better. “I will admit. I went a little overboard working with you last night and I noticed how low I was just as I walked in the door. There wasn’t enough power to reach an outlet soooo I put myself into sleep mode until someone found me.”

“Then your battery ran out?” you sign to him, relief washing over you. Is that really all this is?

“Almost, darling. Or else I wouldn’t be able to talk to you at all.” He gave you a playful wink. “Mind helping this fabulous hunk of metal out?”

A small silent laughter put a grin on your face. “What do I need to do?”

“There’s a cord over by the bed and you can plug it into my covered eye.”

You, quickly, ran over to the bed and pulled out the cord. Rushing back you did as he instructed. Picking his upper torso up by the shoulders, you dragged him closer to the outlet next to the TV in the living room. That took a few minutes because the robot was heavy. Like really heavy. Kneeling over him, you gently brush the black hair that was covering his eye to reveal... a normal eye. 

“How do I...?” you signed to him confused.

“Oh! Push the middle circle above it.” 

Lifting the black locks up a bit farther, you saw that there were 3 symmetrical circles above both eyes on his forehead. You pushed the middle one while wondering what the other ones did. Mettaton’s eye moved back into his head and then slide out of the way to reveal the port. You looked at the plug and visibly cringed. Making Mettaton laugh at your reaction.

“Don’t worry, darling. It doesn’t hurt.”

That didn’t make it any less weird. With really gentle hands, you guided the plug into the port in his eye and plugged the other end into the wall. With that, it was done. After closing the door and getting the things you dropped earlier, you slumped down on the couch relieved. Mettaton had gotten enough energy to sit in a relaxed position while leaning against the wall. You pulled out your phone and brought up Burgerpants number.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**I found him. He ran out of power in his room.**

 

**Burgerpants 5:34 pm**

**That’s awesome little buddy. Mind asking him how long it’ll take for him to recharge?**

Setting the phone in your lap, you relayed the message and Mettaton’s face turned thoughtful. “It’ll be about 2 hours to have enough to do the show and the after party.” he said and you sent the message to Burgerpants and got an immediate response.

**BurgerPants 5:38 pm**

**That’s cutting it rather close but there isn’t much we can do about it. Keep an eye on him.**

After saying you would, you put your phone away. Continuing to sit on the couch as the robot charged. To think if you hadn’t gone looking for him....there might not have even been a concert today. So you laid back and stretched out on the couch. Slow controlled breaths leaving you as you concentrated. You were still trying to calm down from the near panic attack you had. Your heart still pounded but not as bad.

“To be honest, my Songbird, I’m surprised that you were the one to find me.” Mettaton said as he fixed his hair. “I thought my absence would be noticed much sooner than this or at least BP would have found me.”

“He probably would have...” You signed to him. “But since you weren’t there he had to manage everything and was to busy to come check.”

Mettaton nodded his head in understanding. “There wouldn’t be a concert at that rate. Seems like I owe ya one, Darling~” he gave you another playful wink and you shook your head while rolling your eyes at him. “I’m sorry.”

You turn and give him a questioning look. “What for?” 

“For scaring you, my dear.” He chuckled darkly. Mettaton raised a metallic hand and felt his cheek. “It must have been quite a sight. You were crying...”

“It wasn’t that _TEAR_ able.” you signed to him while giving him a mischievous grin. You had made sure to enunciate the word. There was an immediate silence. Silent snickers shook your entire being. Mettaton’s face was priceless.

“You did _NOT_ just-”

“I mean the _CRY_ sis was averted after all.” You were now rolling around on the couch to the point you almost fell off of it.

Mettaton was rubbing his temples “ Darling, please-”

“You’re right Mettaton. I can do better. I’ll make some al _TEAR_ ations.” You sign as you give him your best shit eating grin.

The robot idol was shaking his head at you with a amused smile on his face. “Sweetheart, that one was a bit of a stretch. You’ve been hanging around Sans to much.”

“Obviously. I’m pretty _SANS_ -ational.”

Both your heads turn to the doorway to see the stout skeleton standing there with his hands in his hoodie pockets. His face cracked in a huge grin. When did he get here?

“Sans! That was absolutely _humerus_!” You signed after you sat up. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought it was pretty good _Tibia_ honest.” He gave you a shrug. “Came to check on ya when we got the tickets from BP, instead of you.”

“I’m sorry for not messaging you Sans.” you signed to him with a smile. “ _ULNA_ ver do it again.”

Mettaton let out a loud groan to Sans laughter and your silent giggling fit. “Please you two! _SPARE_ me!”

Sans paused for a second before doubling over with laughter at Mettaton’s statement. You give him a confused look and so does Mettaton. Was there a pun in what he said? If there was you didn’t catch it. Maybe an inside joke?

“What? What did I say?” the robot diva demanded clearly confused.

“Ok, Mettaton. I’ll give ya some _MERCY_.” Sans said while wiping blue tears from his eyes.

“Oh for the love of...” Mettaton put his face in his hands while shaking his head. He seemed to have realized what he had said and was now hating himself for it. You didn’t understand but you were glad that they were having fun.

“Well, everything is okay, Sans. Thanks for coming up to check.” you sign to him once your giggle fit had subsided.

“No problem, kiddo.” Sans said as he winked at you. “I’m gonna head back to the auditorium. Gotta make sure Papyrus doesn’t use any of the _hidden weapons_ he brought with him.”

“WAIT! WHAT?!” You signed quickly as you lurched off the couch at the punny skeleton. But it was to late. Sans was already in the elevator going down, leaving you in your distraught state.

“Should I be worried by what he meant by that, my little songbird?” Mettaton had gotten over his moment of pun self-loathing and was looking at you with pure interest.

“No...... Mettaton?”

“Yes, Songbird?”

“I’m gonna go jump from a window now.” you sign to him while walking past to get to the nearest window. Mettaton caught your arm, pulling you into a metal hug.

“No! Then I will never get to read my beautiful songbird’s words again!” Mettaton said over dramatically as he refused to let you go.

You silently chuckled against him. After a few moments, he released you and you went back over to the couch to wait for him to finish charging. Sans wouldn’t let Papyrus do something bad. Or so you hoped. There wasn’t much you could do about it. 

The room fell into a comfortable silence as you both waited. Your heart had completely calmed down during the punfest. Much to your relief. You didn’t want to have a full on attack. It was to soon since the last one. So you waited as two hours trudged along rather quickly and the next thing you know Mettaton was standing up. 

“Alright, my little Songbird. Time to head to the show. You don’t mind being with Blooky, do you?” asked Mettaton as he unplugged himself and returned his eye to normal.

Your eyes grow wide. “You want me to help Napstablook?” you signed to him shocked by his offer.

“Only if you want too.”

You didn’t need to be asked twice. Your head bounced up and down as you eagerly nodded to the robot idol. “I would love that!” you signed to him at the same time.

“Wonderful!” Mettaton stepped forward and in a swift motion picked you up. He carried you bridal style and you gave him a confused look. “Sorry, Songbird, but I only have half an hour to get ready and this is faster.” With that he was off.

His feet carried him as though he was a cheetah. In seconds, you were on the elevator down and you were backstage in the studio within a couple of minutes.You could vaguely hear the crowd beyond the curtains. They were all talking excitedly. Mettaton gently set you on your feet at the DJ booth with Napstablook and he disappeared backstage.

Napstablook seemed to brighten up at Mettaton’s and your arrival, “Oh.....hey, (y/n)....”

“Hello, Napstablook. Mind if I hang around to help?” you sign to him with a confident smile.

“Not at all...” He moved over and you joined him in the booth. There wasn’t anything for you to do though. Napstablook had already set up the booth for what the concert needed. So you decided to explain to him why Mettaton was late.

A few minutes later, the stage goes dark and the curtains are drawn.

“HELLO, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES~”

Mettaton’s voice took over the stadium sized auditorium. Inciting screams and cheers from the full audience. Their roar sending vibrations throughout the building. 

Looks like the show was about to begin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Sorry for not posting this chapter last week. Things got really busy to the point I couldn't write a chapter for this week. So I put this one off until today because you got the Easter special last week. Once again, I'm sorry!

Papyrus’s voice carried over the other loud voices that filled the room. His solo rendition of his own personal theme song would have made anyone go deaf but most of the people here were drunk. Instead, they cheered the tall skeleton on acting as though this was the best performance they have ever heard. You silently chuckled to yourself before noticing the curious activity your robot host was attempting.

“Mettaton, what are you doing?” you sign to the flamboyant robot who, at one point, was standing behind you holding a vibrant, pink, strawberry lemonade vodka. You sipped your nonalcoholic juice, while his hot pink heels clicked as he hoisted himself up onto the bar counter. “You’re going to get in trouble.”

“Oh please, darling, I’ll be fine.” he said giving you a playful wink.

“We just don’t want you to get _burned_.” Sans spoke up from the stool on your right. A bottle of ketchup in his boney hands. Mettaton narrowed his eyes at Sans before addressing the crowded bar. He double checked to make sure the bartender was still in the kitchen before he clinked his glass to get everyone’s attention.

“Here’s to another fabulous show, everyone! Another round on me!” Mettaton’s robotic voice was drowned out by the cheers of all the people and monsters in the bar. You watched as Mettaton pranced around on the bar’s counter, much to the dismay of the bartender/owner. The fire elemental had walked in to find out what the cheering was about. His flames glowing brighter in anger at the sight of what the robot idol was doing.

He swatted at Mettaton’s feet to get him off the counter. The flames crackling loudly as he did, making Sans chuckle. Some of the flames singed Mettaton’s heel and he hopped off the counter with a dramatic gasp. The robot idol quickly brought his boot up to check out the smudge. All the while, the fire elemental was crackling loudly and gesturing to the counter then at Mettaton.

Sans laughed. “Told ya, you’d get _burned_. Grillby can be quite the _hot_ head. You might’ve just scratched his new counters with those heels.”

“Oh, I’m quite hot myself, Sans. But to mar perfection is blasphemy!” Mettaton cried dramatically while he rubbed the scuff mark on his boot with his thumb, completely ignoring the enraged Grillby. You smiled while shaking your head at the robot diva.

Sighing in relief when the smudge disappeared, Mettaton sat on the stool to your left. Everyone in the bar swarmed in on the fire elemental asking what drinks they would like. Despite being angry, Grillby took the orders like a pro. You watched him while you sipped your juice as he completed order after order with 100% accuracy and speed. Magic drinks, normal drinks, some weird concoctions that people come up with. The fire elemental was knew them all. It was impressive.

Mettaton raised an eyebrow at your nonalcoholic drink and you just gave him an innocent smile. Drinking wasn’t really your thing. You didn’t want to put your heart at even more risk than it already was. He sipped his and you wondered where exactly it went. Did he have a stomach? Could he get drunk? You didn’t know but you kind of wanted to find out. The people crowded around and pushed you up into the counter a bit. Making you feel a bit uncomfortable. You look at Mettaton to ask him about the drinks but he was being swarmed by drunk, yet grateful, fans. So you turn to Sans to see him sprawled out sleeping on the counter. How he was able to sleep with the loud people around him and with Papyrus’s karaoke, you weren’t sure. More than likely the small skeleton was used to it.

Not wanting to be surrounded by the crowd anymore or bother Sans and Mettaton, you stand up, pushing through the large group of people. Breathing a sigh of relief once you get out of the mass of bodies. You open the door to the bar and feel the cool night air envelope you. The sky above you is clear with some stars dotting the night sky. You walk to the corner of the bar next to an alley and lean up against it.

It was rather late at night. The concert had been a huge success but hadn’t ended until midnight. After that, Mettaton had invited the skeleton brothers and yourself to an after party with everyone else involved. Of course, Mettaton had picked the most successful monster bar to hold the party. The place had been pretty hopping when you arrived and just became even more packed when Mettaton entered.

Papyrus hadn’t been to happy about the place but seemed to settle in when Mettaton had got him to sing karaoke with him. You silently chuckled to yourself. That first song had been hilarious with Mettaton singing beautifully and Papyrus struggling against his stage fright. Everyone had been more than encouraging. Once he realized this, Papyrus had taken to the karaoke with vigor. Hardly letting anyone else sing a song unless it was with him. At least he was having fun.

A door opened to your side and you see a group of men stumble out of the bar next to Grillbyz. The popular monster bar sat in the middle of several other bars but none got as much attention. You ignored the drunkards and gazed up at the beautiful night sky. It wasn’t as clear as where you lived but that didn’t matter. The sight was still beautiful.

You let out a relaxed sigh when you felt a hand on your shoulder. Forcefully, you were dragged into the alley next to you and shoved up against a wall. Your stomach plummets as you are surrounded by the drunks you had chosen to ignore. They were tall, rough looking men whose breaths wreaked disgustingly of alcohol. The men were hiccuping and giggling to themselves a bit before they were able to address you.

“Hey there, cutie. What are you doing out here by yourself?”

“Yeah. Ladies shouldn’t be out alone at night.”

Instead of answering them, you try to make yourself as small as possible by pressing up against the wall as much as you could. The three guys had you surrounded and it didn’t look like you could just push them out of the way. They weren’t that inebriated.Your heart started to pick up its pace as fear started to set in. You mentally berated yourself for not telling Mettaton or Sans where you were going. Maybe... Maybe you could talk your way out of it? You pulled the whiteboard out.

“Could you please, let me go?” you wrote out and showed the men. Their looks of curiosity turning to amusement when they were finally able to read it. They laughed loudly at you, making you cringe in fear.

However one of them didn’t seem to be amused. Actually he looked pissed. You averted your gaze to the floor as he smacked the board from your hands and it hits the ground hard a few feet away. You flinch at the noise and try to press up against the wall even farther. Your heart beating painfully as your breathing gets harder. The angered man plants his hand next to your head on the wall.

“What? You think you are to good to speak to us?” he demanded as your body began to tremble. You looked up at him with wide eyes, shaking your head desperately. Without thinking, you pull out your phone to type out your answer only to have that slapped out of your hands too. It hits the floor and the screen shatters. Wonderful. Now you couldn’t text anyone for help. This man was uncomfortably close. All escape routes were blocked. He laughed bitterly. “Oh no, you don’t! Why don’t you just talk to us, huh?”

At this point your heart was in overdrive. Your hand clutching at it in a desperate attempt to calm it down. You try to ignore the men and focus on your breathing but the sound of a fist hitting the wall next to your face brought your attention back to them. The angry one’s face was a few inches from yours and you slide down a bit in an attempt to get away from him.

“Please let me go!” you signed to them as tears started to fall down your cheeks from the pain in you chest combined with the fear.

“Dude! Back off, she’s mute!” said one of the other guys, reaching out and pulling the angry one back a bit.

“Why?” He asked shoving the guy off. His eyes lighting up at the idea he just got. “That just means she can’t speak. Why not have a little fun?” Your eyes grow wide at the words. The guy grabs your shoulder and you violently wrench it away. Accidentally backing up into the third silent guy as you do, who grabs your arms. You writhe within his grasp. Managing to squirm away only to be faced with the angry one again. Your eyes are wide with fear and desperation, as your breathing becomes shallow and quick.

It hurts. Why won’t they go away? Where is Mettaton? Sans? Papyrus? Why hadn’t you told anyone where you were going and why had you gone out here by yourself? The pain had done nothing but increase. It was getting harder for you to stay focused on the men. It hurts. You sniffled loudly, trying to calm your frightened self to no avail. The angered man grasped your shoulders and shoved you roughly against the wall. A small pain emitting from your back as the brick of the building dug into your skin.

Darkness started to pop into your vision but you fought it off. You were terrified of what they would do to you if you went unconscious now. That or the attack may get worse. It was taking all your energy to try and calm down your heart but it wasn’t listening. The thing beat relentlessly in your chest. Each pulse making you wince in pain. You trembled violently in the angered man’s hands but he doesn’t seem to notice that you aren’t just trembling in fear. The angered one began to lean in and you snapped your eyes closed while turning your head away. Enough. No more. Someone help!

“My. My. What’s going on here?”

A low metallic voice had everyone looking at the entrance of the alley to see Mettaton. His eyes were narrowed, at the hands that held you against the wall, with his arms folded across his chest. The robot stood tall. His pink eyes now seemed to be tinted a dark red with his jaw set in a serious tone. Combining everything with his tall stature the robot idol looked downright menacing. He took a step forward and the men turned their attention from you to him. The angry one still holding you against the wall.

“Go away, you hunk of metal. Can’t you see we are busy?” the angry one seethed under his breath at the robot.

“Why thank you. I know I’m quite the looker.” Mettaton stated while flipping his black locks out of his eye. “But I must demand that you give my little songbird back to me. Right now.” He lowered his face so that shadows covered it and the only thing you could see was the red of the LED in his eye.

“ **Don’t. You. Touch. Her.** ” His voice dropped an octave and his glare was enough to have them freeze for a moment.

“Psh. Fuck off, robot. This is none of your business.” the angry one then pulled you close to his body and you tried to pull away but he was much stronger than you. “See? She’s happy to be with us. I bet she even wants to have some fun with us. Right, cutie?” He trailed a finger across your cheekbone and you flinched away from it. “Don’t worry, trashcan with legs. We’ll take good care of her.” The man’s free hand dropped to your waist. You tried to pull it off but he held firm. By now it was all you could do not to pass out from the pain that was coming from your chest. Tears streaming down your cheeks as you silently whimpered.

“Oh are we being crude now? Well fine.” Mettaton took a couple steps forward. The men wary of the robot monster’s approach. “I hardly doubt you could treat Songbird to what she deserves.”

“Oh really? Why’s that?” the angered drunk one asked. A slur in his voice.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mettaton laughed darkly. A chill went down your spine at his menacing demeanor. 

“Darling, my eyelashes are longer than your dick.”

Growling, the angry one threw you to the side and ran at Mettaton. You hit the ground then backed up against the wall. Bringing your knees to your chest, you curled up into a ball. Making yourself appear small and insignificant. The angry one launched himself at the robot fist raised, ready to strike. Mettaton raised an eyebrow at him. Unimpressed, He elegantly dodges out of the way. The guy falling forward from swinging at air. Mettaton’s hot pink leg raises up high. He brings it down and nails the angry guy in the back. Hard. The man falls to the ground with a pained grunt.

With drunken frantic yells, the other two advanced on the robot idol to help their friend. Mettaton gave them an unamused smirk. They launched a flurry of sloppy punches and kicks. As if dancing, Mettaton moved fluidly, easily evading the drunk men’s onslaught. He sidestepped and nailed one of them in the side with one of his legs while catching the punch of the other in his hand effortlessly. With a cry of surprise, the man, that was caught, was hurled into the the nearby dumpster. His friend whimpering on the floor while holding his side.

You were watching all of this with wide eyes and shaky breaths. Using this moment of reprieve to try and calm down. It was working. A little bit. The angry one had grabbed a piece of wood that had been laying on the floor. He charged at Mettaton, swinging wildly as he went. The robot used his inhumane flexibility to easily dodge the blows before finding an opening. A strong kick to the stomach sent the man flying into the back alley wall. His head hitting the wall with a sickening crack before his body slumped to the ground like a rag doll.

Mettaton walked over to the dumpster, slamming it closed. Taking a trashcan lid, he warped it around the lock with his robotic strength. Preventing the guy he had thrown in there from escaping. A noise towards the entrance to the alley caught your attention. The guy that Mettaton had hit in the side was slowly hobbling his way over to you. Rage was all you could see on the man’s features. You kicked out at him in desperation. Hoping that it will make the man keep his distance. The man grunted in anger and grabbed a hold of your leg. His grip so tight it hurt causing you to take a sharp intake of breath.

“ **I told you not to touch her.** ”

A hot pink boot came down on the man’s arm. He cried out in pain, releasing you. Allowing you to crawl backwards away from him. The little progress you had made in calming yourself now gone. You bury your face into your knees not wanting to watch the fight anymore. Instead you just focused the painful erratic beating of your heart. Breathing in. Breathing out. You hear a cry from the man then the alleyway goes silent. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Cold, metal arms wrapped around your trembling form and you feel yourself being lifted. You peek up to see Mettaton looking at you with a soft reassuring expression.

“Metta-” you attempt to sign to him but with his free hand he gently stops you.

“Shhh.... It’s alright, my little songbird. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He says while smiling at you and gently squeezing your hands reassuringly. Your eyes tear up. He wipes them away just before you bury your face into his metal shoulder. You allow the whir of the fans in his chest to help steady your breathing. Mettaton just held you while whispering comforting words. The sound of the door opening to Grillbyz hits your ears.

“Hey, Mettaton. Did you find...” You glance up at the deep voice to see Sans and Papyrus. Papyrus dropped the Styrofoam box of leftovers he held. Sans left eye lit up a bright blue as he took in the surroundings. “What’s going on here?”

Somehow, you managed to lift your head and give them a weak wave. A pained but concentrated expression on your face. You then allowed you head to lower back to Mettaton’s shoulder commencing to taking deep breaths as the darkness in your vision grows. 

“Just some drunken idiots. Nothing more.” Mettaton stated as he approached the two skeletons. “Party’s over boys. Let’s get poor songbird home. She isn’t doing to well...” Papyrus nods and Sans looks at you with concern. You try to give him a reassuring smile but it doesn’t seem to work. Mettaton pulls out a phone and pushes a button. Moments later a limousine pulled up to the bar. Sans and Papyrus piled in first, then Mettaton who still held you gently. “Don’t worry, darling. You’ll be home soon.”

His voice felt far away. The heaviness of the attack wearing out your already tired body. Your eyes drifted closed and you let the darkness take you. The last thing you heard was Sans giving directions to your house to the driver.

 

“Hey there cutie....wanna have some fun?” A hand grasped your shoulder and dragged you into the darkness.

You lurched up silently screaming. Sweat making your clothes cling to your body. The weariness from the attack hitting you like a wall. Your heart pounding from the horrible dream you frantically take in your surroundings. You were at home. In your bed. With the clothes that you had worn earlier still on. When did you get here? Your mind raced as what happened with the drunk men came back. You shuddered. Somehow you managed to calm down or else Sans would have taken you to the hospital instead of home. Had he told Mettaton about your condition? Were they still up? With your darkness adjusted eyes you looked around your room again. Something was laying on the floor next to the plugin by the dresser.

Willing your aching body to move, you don’t allow yourself to dwell on the scary events. You shakily stand up and approach the figure on the floor. It was Mettaton. In his “sleep mode”. How long had you been out? Was he so concerned about you that he hadn’t wanted to leave you alone? Where were Sans and Papyrus? 

Sneaking by the sleeping robot, you exited your room and walked into the hallway. The lamp in the living room was on, thus you walked towards the light. Sure enough, there in the living room was Sans and Papyrus. Sans was sprawled out on the love seat. His legs hanging over one end. Papyrus was stuck in the same boat on the couch. Both monsters were to big for the furniture that they rested on. Both monsters were also in deep sleep. Their soft breathing breaking the silence of the night.

The skeleton brothers were just sleeping on the furniture. No pillows. No blankets. You would have thought that Papyrus would have known where the spare bed things were from cleaning but then again maybe not. Using this as an opportunity to distract yourself, you headed into the hallway closet, pulling out two blankets and pillows. Being careful not to trip, you manage to walk back into the living room. Tucking the skeleton brothers in properly. Turning off the lamp, as well. Knowing that everyone was fine and that they were all taken care of, you felt the weariness from moments earlier creep back. A low yawn escaping your lips.

So you trudged back into your bedroom to see that Mettaton was no longer asleep. He stood at your dresser examining the broken violin atop it in silence. You took a step forward and he turned around when he heard your feet on the carpet. The robot was smiling kindly. But that didn’t stop the memories of the drunk men pinning you against the wall in the alley from flashing into your mind. Fear made you tremble where you stood as the sensations came to you. The smell of the alcohol, the feel of their rough hands and the brick wall on your back. Your heart started to pick up its pace from the fear.

“Songbird...Sweetheart, Its alright.” A soft metallic voice whispered into your ear. “Its okay. They can’t hurt you.” 

You snapped back to reality to find yourself wrapped in Mettaton’s arms. He held your trembling form softly, as though he was scared to break you. After several calming breaths, you looked up at him before wrapping your arms around his waist and buried your face into his metal chest plate. You feel him stroke the back of your head soothingly. Allowing you to take your time until you felt better.

“Thank you...” You began to sign to him when you pulled away but he cut you off.

“There is no need to thank me, darling. To be honest, I’m rather vexed at myself.”

You looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“Because if I had noticed your absence sooner this could have all been avoided.” Mettaton muttered angrily to himself. “I wanted to ask you something when I had noticed you disappeared. Sans didn’t know where you went either... Since he was snoozing on the counter. Papyrus was the one who told me that he saw you walk outside.”

He blamed himself? This would not do. You shook your head. “Don’t blame yourself. Its my fault for not telling anyone where I was going. Papyrus was having fun on stage. Sans was napping so I didn’t wanna wake him and you were surrounded by fans...”

Mettaton chuckled “Are we going to keep trying to take the blame endlessly?”

“Probably.” Just as you signed it your noticed that the sun had started to rise. The morning rays peeking through your window and eliminating the traces of the night. You let out a heavy sigh. So long as Mettaton, Sans and Papyrus were here you would be fine. They won’t let the bad memories corrupt your thoughts. It was reassuring that you weren’t alone. “What’s done is done. It was an unfortunate incident. Nothing more. Thank you for being there to save me, Mettaton.”

“Agreed and anytime, darling!” The robot idol gave you a soft smile. “Now why don’t we start cooking breakfast. I don’t know about you but I’m starving!” He dramatically clutched where his stomach should be and you silently chuckled. Ignoring how tired you were, you both headed toward the kitchen when you pulled on his arm to get his attention. “Hm...?”

The questions from last night have returned and your hands went into overdrive. “How is it you are able to eat and drink anyway? Can you get drunk? Does food provide you with energy? How does it work?”

Mettaton’s eyes lit up and his soft laughter filled the kitchen. “Well, Songbird. Grab the eggs from the fridge and I’ll be happy to tell you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the delay! I really am. Also thank you so much everyone! Almost 200 kudos and over 2000 hits... Kinda funny how those are so in sync. Just... THANK YOU! I never thought this would take off like it did. Thank you so much!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Everyone! So I was thinking of doing an author Q and A so Message me your questions! Next chapter I'll make a Q and A section ^_^

You open the door to Mettaton’s office. Peering around, only to find that the robot monster wasn’t there. Where was he? You were told this is where he would be. It has been about a week since the after party incident and he had asked that you take some time to heal from it. He had checked up on you by stopping at your house. So did the skeleton brothers. Actually, at this point you were pretty sure they lived in your house more than theirs. Not that you were complaining. It was nice to have other people in the house other than you. Each day had been crazy with them yet a lot of fun. But you didn’t let that free time go to waste. 

So instead, you had revamped the music for your song but that could only keep you occupied for so long. Now you were done getting stir crazy in your house, so you asked Sans to drop you off so that you could turn in the music for review. Only the robot wasn’t here. Maybe he was in the studio? You pulled out your temporary phone to ask BP.

“Oh! Hello, Songbird!”

Putting your temp phone in your pocket, you look up at the tall robot while flashing him a smile. “Hello, Mettaton.”

“Darling, it’s wonderful to see you! It was just awful here without your presence! Are you sure your okay with being here?” He asked while pulling you into a dramatic hug that made you chuckle. “You can take as much time as you need. Everyone copes differently.”

“Are you sure you want me hanging around Sans more than I already am?” You signed to him while cocking an eyebrow at him playfully when he released you.

“You bring up a good point...” Mettaton rubbed his chin thoughtfully before giving you another hug. “I’m glad your back, my dear. But unfortunately, I cannot stay.”

“Aw, why not? I brought the revised sheet music we talked about.” you signed to him before opening you music notebook to the designated page.

This peeked his interest and he seemed to be debating something in his head. You watched as he weighed the pros and cons. His facial features exaggerating when he thought of a pro or a con, much to your amusement. The pros seemed to be winning. Then without a word, he moved you aside and walked into his office, only to emerge a few seconds later.

“Alright, darling, you are coming with me.” He said after locking his office door and leading you down the hallway out of the studio. “I’ll be waiting for a bit so we can go over the music revisions during that time.”

“Where are we going?” You asked while speeding up a bit to keep up with his long strides.

He led you outside where a limo was waiting. With grace and grandeur, Mettaton swept open the door for you. Ending the movement with a small bow. “After you, Milady.” You playfully rolled your eyes at him before accepting his offer. Crouching down, you slide into the back seat of the limo with Mettaton joining you a few seconds later. “Well, to answer your question. To put this simply... I’m getting a much needed upgrade.”

Upgrade? What would he need an upgrade for? Your hands signed the questions to him while you gave him a curious look. You knew he was a robot but he acted so... Normal that it was easy to forget. Mettaton leaned back into the seat of the limo with a grateful sigh.

“Oh, it’s just wonderful, Songbird. I’m finally getting this energy output issue fixed. I will no longer be almost missing concerts for just working a few extra hours.” Mettaton said as he seemed to look off into space. The way he spoke about it made it seem like he has had to deal with this issue for a very long time. If that was so it was great that it was finally getting fixed.

“So where are we going?” you asked again after lightly tapping his arm to get his mind back to earth.

“We are going to see my dear old friend, Dr. Alphys.” he squealed in excitement. “She was the one who designed this fabulous body, you know.” he said while lowing his voice to a playful husky tone. His legs stretching out as his arm gestured down his body while he gave you a wink.

You would probably have been blushing if it wasn’t for the fact you knew he did this with everyone. Instead, you gently nudged his shoulder and he turned away from you with a mock gasp of pain. Your shoulders shaking from the silent chuckles from his over exaggerated reaction. The ride to the Doctor’s place commenced in that fashion. With Mettaton saying doing things to make you laugh or smile.

He rustled your hair as you calmed down from your latest giggle fit. Just as the limo pulled into it’s final destination. “Yep, this is a much better look for you.”

“What do you mean by that?” you asked him accusingly. Narrowing your eyes playfully at the robot.

“You look positively gorgeous when you’re smiling.”

Out of habit, you gave him a skeptical look. To which he held his hands up in mock surrender. Then he opened the door to the limousine and stepped out, holding it open for you like before. You move out of the limo and stand next to Mettaton as he closed the door. The large building before you loomed over the others. It looked relatively plain with the word LAB in big letters on the front. Well at least you wouldn’t miss it. Those letters could probably be seen from space.

A small yellow dinosaur monster in a lab coat waddled out of the building and towards you two. Mettaton leaned in close. “I wasn’t joking.” he whispered before straightening back up. He walked towards the yellow dinosaur arms outstretched. “Alphys, Darling! It has been way to long!”

The robot idol swept the yellow dinosaur off her feet and into a spinning hug. While you stood on the sidewalk looking at the concrete. Trying to hide the blush that had crept across your cheeks. You weren’t good at receiving compliments in the first place. Which is all Mettaton seems to do. It was nice that he was trying to boost your self esteem though. Once you were sure the blush had disappeared, you walked up to the robot to stop him from spinning with the poor doctor. With a gentleness you wouldn’t have guessed he had, Mettaton put the yellow dinosaur down, making sure to keep a hand on her to keep the dizzy monster steady.

“I-It’s nice.. T-to s-see you too, Mettaton.” the doctor managed to stutter out. Not noticing that you were there because she had shut her eyes to fight off the dizziness. “W-why d-don’t you come in and w-we can get started?”

“That sounds wonderful! But first...” Mettaton waltz next to you and gently pulled you in front of him. “I would like you to meet, my little songbird. Alphys, this is (y/n).”

Alphys steadied herself after Mettaton had let go while rubbing her eyes. She adjusted her glasses, blushing as she did. Immediately, her eyes went to the ground. “H-Hello... (y/n). I-I’m D-Dr. Alphys.” the stuttering in her voice getting worse for the bashful monster. Her shyness was rather cute.

Smiling, you stepped forward and gently put a hand under her chin to raise her head. Kind of hard for you to talk when a person’s eyes were on the floor, not your hands. “It’s nice to meet you, Alphys.” you signed to her with a comforting smile as the dinosaur’s eyes grew wide.

“O-Oh my! Y-You’re just like Frisk!” Alphys squealed a little as she spoke. The poor monster didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands so she was kind of wringing them out nervously.

“Frisk?”

“The monster ambassador, darling.” Mettaton spoke up from behind you. “They’re mute just like yourself.”

Oh! Were they talking about the same monster ambassador that Napstablook had told you about? You were mulling over just who this “Frisk” was when you heard Alphys begin to speak. “Please! C-come in.” the yellow monster gestured to the lab before heading through the automatic doors with Mettaton and you following suit.

As the doors slide away, you were greeted with a complex mixture of smells. Chemicals, metal, sanitizer, and was that.... ramen? You walked past a large TV that showed a close up of you and Mettaton since he was right by your side. For a moment you thought it was weird but this was a lab. Of course, it would have surveillance. So you walked up to the monitor. Trying to find where the camera was for a few seconds before giving up. Instead, opting to make various poses and faces only to have them reflected to you in the monitor.

A metallic chuckle was emitted behind you. “Having fun?” the robotic voice asked. You turned around while giving the robot an affirmative nod.

“S-So Mettaton... I must ask. W-why did you bring (y/n) here?” Alphys stood a little bit away from you by a cluttered computer desk. She was back to looking at the floor and wringing her hands.

“Well... This little songbird here was the one who won that contest I ran a while ago. She brought some things for to me to look over-”

“You brought your work with you?” Alphys cut off the robot. But her question had caught your attention. She hadn’t stuttered once in that sentence.

Mettaton gave his friend a playful shrug. “That I did, darling.”

Alphys was rubbing her temple. “Mettaton... You can’t keep going at this fast pace. Your body will break down that much faster.” she grumbled out at him in almost a motherly tone.

“Just another excuse to come and see you more often then.” He replied with a wink. The blush back on the yellow dinosaur’s face.

“C-come on. Let’s get this over with.” Alphys ushered the robot into another room before coming back a few moments later. “Y-you are more than welcome to sit and watch s-some anime... T-this will p-probably take a while.” She gestured over to the TV that had a couch across from it.

“Sounds good! Thank you!” you signed to her and she left you to your own devices. So you walked over to the large shelf. Browsing the monster’s massive anime collection. There was one that was laying atop the DVD player. Mew Mew Kissy Cutie... The box looked cracked and worn from lots of use. Alphys probably watched this one a lot. So it had to be good...right? With a shrug, you check to make sure it was in the player before sitting on the couch and turning it on. Might as well.

The next couple hours were spent with you watching the pink haired cat girl fight off the evil villians with the sheer power of her large magical sword that appeared when she blew a kiss. With the weird sounds and mumbling of whatever Alphys was doing in the other room in the background. You would have gone to check but some of the noises terrified you. So as you finished Mew Mew Kissy Cutie and were putting in Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2, you didn’t notice that the sounds had stopped.

“E-excuse me....(y/n)?”

You jumped a little at the sound of Alphys’s voice. “What’s up, Alphys? All done?” your hands asked when you whirled around to greet the now dirty and tired doctor. She seemed worried about something. The poor thing shuffled uncertainly back and forth.

“W-well... N-no... Undyne was s-supposed to bring the essential part I needed for the upgrade to this lab but she must have misunderstood me.” The timid yellow dinosaur began. “She must have brought it to the other lab.”

“You have another lab?” Your eyebrows raising in surprise. She had two labs. That’s rather impressive.

“Y-yes! This is my home and m-my personal lab. U-undyne must have brought it to the lab where I work with other r-researchers....” Alphys looked to the floor for a moment then back at you with a pleading gaze. “I-I need that part..b-but I can’t l-leave Mettaton here alone... C-could you watch him?”

“Sure thing!” You give her a smile. “But why do I have to watch him?”

“I have him m-mostly put back together.... B-but with what’s missing he may act rather w-weird...” The yellow dinosaur monster made sure to put extra emphasis on the word weird. “So h-he can’t go out into the p-public... It m-may ruin his image.”

To be honest, you weren’t sure what she meant by weird but hopefully it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. How you were going to stop the really tall, strong robot from escaping the lab, you weren’t exactly sure. But there wasn’t anyone else to do it. So you throw away your self doubt and give the doctor a look of determination. “Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him.”

Alphys nodded, heading for the door. “I’ll be back in about 45 minutes.”

The automatic doors slid closed. Here you were. Alone in a mysterious monster lab. Well. Not entirely alone. With a sigh, you head to the room that Alphys and Mettaton entered earlier. Might as well check up on the robot idol now. You peek in to see a metal table with a bunch of tools and items around the room. Things you couldn’t even begin to figure out what their purpose was for. Everything was out of place but there was one thing in particular that was misplaced. Mettaton. He wasn’t here. He was gone.

You rubbed your temples in annoyance. Somehow you had managed to lose the world’s most popular monster in just a few minutes. Making sure all exits were locked, you scoured the place. Checking the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen... Everywhere! He was gone. You made your way back to the entry room, wondering where the large piece of metal went, only there was Mettaton. He was laying on the couch with his legs up against the wall with his head hanging of the end so it was upside down. How he had gotten past you.... You weren’t sure.

Completely relieved, you walked up to him. “What are you doing?” you signed to him, wondering if he would be able to understand you while watching your hands upside down. 

“Just being trash.” he responded with a playful wink. “It’s a family tradition after all.”

“A family tradition?” you raise an eyebrow at him but he just pats the spot on the couch next to him. Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 playing on the television. So you join him on the couch, your hair hitting the floor as you kick your legs against the wall above. Blood rushing to your face making it red.

“That’s right, darling~” He said. Mettaton held his hand out to you.

You give him a questioning look. “What?”

“Let me see the sheet music, Songbird.”

Remembering why you were originally here in the first place, you pull out the music notebook from your bag, making sure to flip to the page before handing it to him. He commenced to look it over. Humming the different instrumental parts out loud in the various tones. After getting about halfway through the music he let’s out a frustrated sigh.

“What’s wrong? Is it bad?” you sign to him with a concerned frown. Getting up from your upside down position because all the blood was making you light headed.

“No! No No No No! It’s not that!” Mettaton bolted upright, a little to quickly, catching himself on the arm of the couch before he fell back down. He moved so he was sitting properly on the couch, like you, while a hand ran through his black locks. “It’s just hard for me to visualize all the instruments playing or the techno without hearing it.”

“That makes sense. When we get ba-” you began to sign but was immediately cut off when he stood up suddenly. The robot idol handed you your notebook before picking you up and heading for the door. “Mettaton! What are you doing?!”

“Well if I can’t visualize then we’re going to make it a reality! There are several music shops not far from here.” He unlocked the automatic door and it slid open with little resistance. 

“But we aren’t supposed to leave!” you stammer out but its to late. Mettaton was already out the door and walking down the sidewalk heading towards the business district with you clinging to his shoulders. Mission failed. The robot was on the loose.

“Don’t worry, darling. It shouldn’t take us long.” The robot idol said cheerily.

How wrong he was.

You played the song from the top in the DJ booth you were currently in. This was the fifth music shop you had entered and this was the first one to allow you to take your time to work. Every other place had gotten mad at you just playing all the instruments but not buying anything. Thus you were shooed out. It was well past 45 minutes and you had heard Mettaton’s phone go off but he hadn’t answered it. It was more like 3 hours later. You could only imagine what was going through Alphys’s head right now. If you had her number you would have texted her. Somehow you had managed to keep the robot out of trouble but you weren’t sure how much longer you were going to be able to keep this up. There were several almost incidents on the way here that you barely managed to scrape your way out of. The tourist incident, the fans incident, there was one involving an ice cream truck and a baby.... You shuddered. That was one you didn’t want to remember. That angry mother could take down a sumo wrestler with her purse. Absently, you rubbed your shoulder where you had been struck by the purse in question. Maybe now was the time for some back up. You pulled out the temporary phone Papyrus had given you and started texting Sans out of the robot’s eyesight.

Mettaton bobbed his head to the beat. Within moments, he was dancing along to the tune. He grabbed your arm and pulled you along with him. Your hidden attempt to text Sans thwarted because you dropped your phone under the console. The idol held you aloft as he waltzed you around. Your feet not even touching the ground. Was this something considered weird? Because you could still see Mettaton doing this even if his circuits weren’t messed up. Despite all the workers and customers watching, you allowed him to dance around with you in his arms.

Some people were whispering to each other while others were taking pictures or video. Would this damage his reputation? You couldn’t see how it would. Mettaton did another spin before dipping you. Even though you wouldn’t admit it out loud, it was actually a lot of fun. Mettaton didn’t even notice the other people in the room. It was as though it was just you two and the music. But your fun was cut short when you noticed that a light was flashing on his chest. You tapped his chest to get his attention. “What does this light mean?” you sign to him when you free your other hand from his grasp.

“That light means I have about 15 minutes of battery left.” he said ignoring the sudden urgent look on your face and continuing to dance around the store.

Your hands beat gently on the pink chest plate to get his attention again. You kept going in urgency until he stopped dancing and put you down. Quickly, you turned off the song in the booth making sure to grab your temp phone from the floor. “Mettaton, we need to get back to Alphys’s lab now! I can’t drag you back there by myself!”

“Whatever do you mean, Song-” The realization of what was going to happen seemed to dawn on him. Without another word, he scoops you up in his arms. Dashing out the store and down the street, He ran while you watched the light flash faster as the minutes ticked by. Dodging traffic, onlookers, and a cherry picker somehow you could see the large letters on the building of your destination.With 5 minutes to spare, Mettaton and you were bursting through the automatic doors. Only to be greeted by a really stressed out Alphys. He put you down. Despite being carried, you were somehow breathless.

“METTATON! Where were you?!” Alphys rounded on him. Fast. “You didn’t answer your phone! You were gone for so long! I thought something had happened!” The yellow monster was livid. Angry tears trailing down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, darling! I just had to hear how the song sounded.” The robot held his hands up but Alphys wasn’t having any of it. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the other room. Ranting at him the whole time. 

“How could you leave after promising you wouldn’t?”

“What if you malfunctioned or someone saw you doing something odd?”

“What if (y/n) wasn’t there if your battery had run out?”

Once again you were left to your own devices. You silently chuckled to yourself before restarting Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2. The noises picked up again as the movie started. It was cute to see Mettaton be mothered around like that. Alphys was a really good friend to be worried so much about him. It was rather funny to see.

Halfway through the movie Alphys walked back out and sat with you on the couch with an immediate look of disgust. “W-why are you watching this garbage? It’s not kissy or cutie!” She began to go into a full on rant on how the sequel wasn’t nearly as good as the original. The rant got so involved that she had started pacing in front of you waving her hands in exaggerated expressions due to her emotions. It was great to see her open up about herself. When she was confident or passionate about something, she didn’t stutter. It was cute. Eventually, she made her way back into the spot next to you when suddenly the lights went out. Alphys stopped her ranting as music began to play. Smoker started to fill the room. “Oh geez...”

“Introducing...”

“The new and improved....”

“METTATON!”

The lights flashed back on. There before you was Mettaton all back together. He was shiny from being polished and his hair was fixed from running around earlier. Politely you clapped for him which earned you an annoyed groan from Alphys.

“P-please don’t encourage him.” she said shaking her head.

“To late~” The ecstatic robot pranced forward, sitting between the two of you on the couch. “I couldn’t resist Alphys. You did such a fabulous job on little ol’ me.”

“A-anytime.” the yellow dinosaur got up and commenced to pick something better to watch.

“That reminds me!” Mettaton turned to you and pulled out a phone. Holding it out to you.

“What’s this for? I already got a new phone.” you sign to him before pulling out the temp one.

“But this is your old phone! Grillby found it in the alley all broken. So I asked Alphys to fix it up when I came to schedule the upgrade.” He said ending in a hum. Taking the temp one out of your hand and placing your old one into it.

You turned it on and sure enough all the old stuff that was on your phone was still there. Contacts, pictures, music, it was if it hadn’t been broken. But there were new features on it that you had never seen before. Along with two new numbers in your phone. Alphys and Mettaton.

“What are these dimensional box thingies?” you asked curiously.

“Lemme show you.” Mettaton leaned in close so he could see the screen. Describing each feature and how it worked. When his description fell short, Alphys would take over, explaining it properly. It kept going to the point until they got into a playful argument with you laughing at them on the sidelines.

A warm feeling spreading in your heart. Sans was right. You had friends. Friends that cared and one of them was Mettaton.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry but I will have to put the Q&A in next week's chapter. I'm currently not at home and haven't had a chance to write it up. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Several crashing sounds could be heard from within the house that stood before you. Ignoring this, you knocked on the door to be let in, tapping your foot against the wood of the porch. The crashes continued on. With all that noise there was no way that anyone inside could have heard the knock. Guess you’ll have to let yourself in. Adjusting the bags in your hands to one, you open the door to the skeleton brothers’ house. The door slammed open and a white blur sped between your legs, knocking you off balance. You thrust out your hands in an attempt to break your fall... Only you weren’t falling anymore. 

You were floating.

A light blue aura enveloped your entire being, along with the groceries that you had brought with you. An odd feeling of something leaving you making you gasp in surprise. Suddenly you were brought up high above the door just as a familiar tall skeleton dashed out of the house in a pink apron that said ‘Keep Calm and Eat Spaghetti’.

“COME BACK HERE WITH MY SPECIAL SPAGHETTI!” Papyrus yelled, chasing the white blur that you could now see was a white pomeranian with a pot in it’s mouth You giggled. There was never a dull moment at the skeleton household. While you floated, wondering what exactly was happening and how to get down, Sans stepped over the threshold. One of his eyes lit up a light blue with a hand pointed in your direction.

“I know my brother is great and all but I can’t just have you _fallin_ for him.” The smaller skeleton chuckled. His hand lowering with you going down with it. You were placed back on earth gently. The blue aura not going away until you regained your balance but the bags remained floating in the air.

“But... He’s the GREAT Papyrus! How can I not fall for that cinnamon roll?” You signed to him while looking as though Sans had greatly insulted your feelings. But you couldn’t keep the facade up. So you ended up giggling alongside the small skeleton. “Does this happen often?”

Sans walked inside with the groceries floating behind him, prompting you to follow. “This used to happen all the time at our house in the underground. Somehow that little white pup found us up here on the surface.” He had stopped in the kitchen to give you a sly wink. The bags drifting over to the table before the blue aura fading from them.

“Yep. He found you alright.” You signed. The smell of the awful spaghetti still wafting in the room. There was no doubt about it that Sans, definitely, had something to do with the spaghetti thief.“I hope it takes him a while to go _fetch_ that pot.” Your pun earning you a proud grin from the stout skeleton.

Taking advantage of the younger brother’s absence, you commence to start cooking for the little get together that the brothers were holding. You start your own batch of spaghetti then move on to make some small sandwiches. Sans and Papyrus never really had a housewarming party after moving in. Papyrus was tired of putting it off, thus here you were. Helping the brothers prepare for their friends. Despite being nervous, you knew this was going to be a lot of fun. The only issue is that you weren’t sure how many people were going to show up and if you would even know anyone. If all else fails you could leave. It wasn’t like you had a long walk home.

Sans lounged around in a kitchen chair, a bottle of ketchup in his hand. Once the sandwiches were finished you placed them in the fridge. Joining the skeleton at the table because you had to wait for everything else. What happened earlier ran through your mind. Not only did Sans have teleportation abilities but also telekinesis? It had felt strange... How did he do that? Do all monsters have abilities like that or just him? If so could Papyrus do it as well? You absently chewed on a cracker before finally giving in to your curiosity.

“How did you do that?”

“How did I do what?” the skeleton responded after setting down the now empty ketchup bottle on the table.

“That telekinetic blue aura thingy!” You signed, trying to find the right words to describe what happened with Sans chuckling at your somewhat childish description.

He leaned back in his chair, allowing his left eye to light up a bright blue. With a quick hand gesture, the refrigerator door opened and a fresh bottle of ketchup made its way to his free hand. “Magic. All monsters have magic. Humans have it to but it appears to have diminished over time.”

“So all monsters can teleport and move things?” You leaned onto the table. Your interest clearly peeked.

“Nah. I’m the only one that can teleport. As far as I know.” Sans paused to take a swig of the bottle before continuing. “Papyrus could probably move things if he wanted to but knowing him he probably considers it the lazy way of doing things.”

That was probably true. You could see Papyrus opting to do things without powers. “So why did it feel like something left my chest when you lifted me?”

Sans seemed to stiffen at the question. “That was because in order to lift you, I had to bring out your SOUL. You didn’t look at your chest when it happened?”

You shook your head. “Was I supposed to? I was to busy wondering how I got up there and why the bags were orbiting me.”

“No... But it is a common reaction.... It’s probably for the best you didn’t see it.” Sans then seemed to drop the topic and commenced to focus more on the ketchup bottle in his hand.

Your eyes narrowed at the stout skeleton. You weren’t going to let the topic go after he said something like that. Why did he think it was best you didn’t see it? On that note, how did he know what your SOUL looked like if this was the first time he used his powers on you? The teleporting hadn’t brought your SOUL out. The day you first met flashed in your mind. His perceptive gaze seeing through you in a way you weren’t sure how to place. Can he see SOULS? Had he seen your SOUL that day? Was that how he knew about your issues before you even said two words to him? Your eyes grew wide at the realization. Was there something wrong with it?

“Yes.” Before you could even ask, Sans had responded. He took another heavy swig from the ketchup bottle and let out a heavy sigh. “Yes, that’s how I knew.”

The smoke alarm ended the conversation before you had a chance to ask anything else with the smell of burning spaghetti sauce reaching your nose. Quickly, you dash over to the skillet and turn the burner off. Attempting to save what sauce you could,you transferred the non-burnt sauce to a bowl on the counter. When you had saved what you could, you turned to say something to Sans but he was no longer at the kitchen table. He was opening the front door in an attempt to air out the smoke in the house.

“Hello, San-...Oh my! What happened here?”

A slightly feminine yet male robotic voice had you trying to peer over Sans from the kitchen. In the doorway stood the one and only Mettaton, holding several different fancy party trays. Next to him was a googly-eyed Papyrus. The tall skeleton seemed to be vibrating from pure excitement at the presence of his idol. Any chance to bring back the conversation with Sans was now lost. With a sigh of defeat, you grabbed some bags of chips from the stuff you brought. Taking them, you brought them to the food table in the living room, placing them with a couple others. Making sure to give the robot idol a small wave once your hands were free.

“Songbird!~” The tall robot sidestepped around Sans to pull you into a hug. Somehow making it graceful despite both his hands doing a balancing act with the trays. “Are you going to be attending this adorable little soiree as well?”

You returned his hug before pulling away to take his trays and put them on the snack table. “That I am. I was cooking some spaghetti but....” your eyes glanced up at some of the smoke that was making its way outside. “I kinda got distracted.” your hands admitted to Mettaton. The robot’s face cracked into an amused grin.

“HMMM... YOU MUST NOT BE DOING IT RIGHT! THE SMOKE SHOULD BE MUCH DARKER!” The both of you jumped at the loud voice of Papyrus right next to you. Before you had a chance to correct the skeleton he had made his way into the kitchen. “WOWIE! YOU HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN BUSY! ALMOST EVERYTHING IS DONE BUT THE SPAGHETTI!”

“Yo, Grillby. Glad you could make it.” The deep voice of Sans picking up where Papyrus’s had ended.

Standing on your tip toes, you peered over Mettaton’s shoulder to see the fire elemental walk through the doorway. A few other cars were beginning to park outside as the other guests arrived. “Mind helping me set out the snack table? Seems like everyone is getting here early.” you asked the robot, mentally noting on thank Grillby for finding your phone.

“Of course, Darling!~” Mettaton said as he followed you into the kitchen. With your directions you both brought out the rest of the things that belonged on the snack table. A certain robot idol having fun arranging the items. By the time he was done it was a pretty elaborate and beautiful set up. You almost didn’t want to eat anything so that you didn’t mess up Mettaton’s handiwork. Almost. As if to challenge him you took a carrot stick and took a bite. Making the veggie tray uneven. Mettaton quickly remedied it by popping one into his mouth while giving you a playful glare. “Songbird, don’t go messing with perfection now.”

“There is no such thing.” you sign to him defiantly before taking a couple different veggies only to hear Mettaton gasp in horror. Which was a bit to loud.

Immediately, the idol was swarmed by a bunch of monsters surprised at his presence. You were pushed to the side like an afterthought. Mettaton caught your eye and gave you an apologetic smile before turning his attention to the fans that surrounded him. Your playful banter thoroughly ended. So leaving the robot, you wandered around the living room. Papyrus magically materializing beside you to introduce you to all the monsters you didn’t know. There was this spider lady named Muffet, this purple bunny lady who brought cinnamon bunnies, some froggits, and a few others who all welcomed you warmly. Alphys and Napstablook also made an appearance.

But eventually the skeleton left to mingle with his friends while you were left to whatever you wanted to do. Everyone seemed to be having fun and talking about things that you had no idea about. So you did what you normally did at parties. Become a wallflower. You leaned back against the far wall of the living room watching all the monsters mingle. Letting the time tick by. It was no surprise that you were the only human there. This was supposed to be a party for close friends and somehow you had wormed your way into the skeleton brothers’ hearts.

Speaking of hearts, you touch your chest where the feeling of something leaving it earlier happened. What did your SOUL look like? What about it made Sans relieved that you didn’t see it? Was it really that bad? You pressed your hand against your heart feeling it pulse under your hand. Did your physical ailments affect how your SOUL looks? That thought just made you even more curious about what it looked like. Could all monsters see SOULS? Had all the monsters here seen it? Your eyes widened at the thought. Suddenly you felt very open. Vulnerable. Exposed. You were so involved in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the tall robot take a place next to you on the wall.

“I figured I would find you on the sidelines, songbird.”

You looked up only to have a red cup with punch brought into your line of sight. Mettaton sipped his without looking at you, waving the drink playfully in front of your face. You take it making sure to sniff it warily. “Did you spike it?”

Mettaton chuckled. “If that’s what you want, you can have some of mine.” He waggled his drink at you and you gently pushed him away. Your silent chuckles voiced by his real ones. “So... What’s on your mind, my dear?” He leaned back up against the wall taking another sip. Making the wall look more comfortable than it probably was.

“Can all monsters see SOULS?” you sign to him before you chicken out. If it was true then could Mettaton see your SOUL? Was he so nice to you because he knew something was wrong? The thought made your heart heavy. You didn’t want anyone to be nice out of pity.

Mettaton lowered his drink looking at you carefully. “Where did that come from?”

“Sans saved me from being trampled by Papyrus when the pomeranian stole his spaghetti.” you signed before taking a sip of your drink. The red dye turning your lips a bright red.

“Aaahhhh... That’s why Papyrus was chasing the pup. Well...” Mettaton rubbed his chin absently. “Sans is a special case. No one knows his true potential.” the robot leaned in close to your ear. Having to kneel down to do so “He likes keeping all that on the hush hush. But... To answer your question,” He straightened back up while taking another sip. “No. I think Toriel, the queen of the monsters, and Asgore, the king, can. But not everyone. I certainly can’t.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized that you had been holding. So he couldn’t see it and thus it was possible he didn’t know about your.... condition. “Can all monsters pull out souls?”

“Yes.....why?” Mettaton was now regarding you with a wary interest. One eyebrow raised at you. It was obvious he was wondering where you were going with this. He brought his drink to his lips while he awaited your response.

“Could you show me mine?”

Sparks flew as Mettaton choked on his drink. A bright blush spreading vibrantly across his face. He hit his chest a few times while sputtering on the liquid. You ran over to the snack table to grab some napkins and ran back offering them to the robot. Somehow Mettaton had choked. Why had the robot choked? How had the robot choked?

“Thank you, songbird.” He took them gratefully, wiping his face. Using the napkins to hide the blush on his face. You watched him curiously as he did. Why had your question got him so flustered like that? Once the robot was punch free and his composure restored, he cleared his throat. “I’m going to assume you don’t know what it means to ask that outside of fighting or another monster protecting you?”

Without hesitation, you nodded your head. Mettaton let out a heavy sigh. A small hint of pink still on his features. “What? Did I ask something bad?” you signed to him worried. 

“N-No.... It’s just... Okay.” He ran his hand through his black locks while trying to find the right words. “ Do you know what a SOUL is?”

“Isn’t it the very culmination of your being?” you answered him. This was something they taught in kindergarten. 

“Yes, correct! Now... When... a SOUL is brought out to fight. It’s all or nothing but outside of that setting...” The blush seemed to come back in full force as he trailed off. “It’s intimate. You are basically trusting that person with the one thing that truly makes you...you. After all, it is everything you are. It is your strongest aspect but your weakest point...”

Now it was your turn to blush. Your eyes grew wide at the realization of what you had asked of Mettaton. You set the red cup in your hands on the side table nearby. “I-I...am so sorry... Mettaton I-” You began to sign to him with shaking hands but he raised his to stop you.

“It’s alright, songbird. You just caught me off guard.” He shook his head. “But I will have to politely decline”

You moved back to your spot on the wall, leaning back against it. There was no way you could have known that was what you were asking. An awkward silence settled on you two. A sigh leaving your lips. Your thoughts trailing back to what he knew about your condition. Just because he couldn’t see your SOUL didn’t mean he hadn’t picked up on your abnormal behavior. So did he notice your issues? It was hard to hide especially after the alley incident. If he didn’t then he needed to know. Especially if you were going to keep working together. You steeled yourself and tapped Mettaton’s elbow to get his attention.

“What was your first impression of me when we met?” You wanted to see what he knew before confirming any suspicions he may have. 

“My, my. So many deep questions today. Hmm..I would have to say....” Mettaton looked off into space for a minute as he tried to recall those memories. “Shy. Timid. Very quiet. But that was before I knew about... The mute voice.... Now that I know you a bit better.... Still kind of shy and timid but sweet. Passionate. Very caring. Only flaw I can think of was due to Sans’s influence.” He gave you a playful smirk as he finished off what was left of his drink.

“I don’t act weird?”

“Of course, darling. But who doesn’t?” Mettaton laughed out loud as he said it. “Take me for instance. I haven’t posed dramatically once while at this little party!” He ended looking like he was about to cry. Holding his hand over where his heart should be. You rolled your eyes at him while shaking your head. A smile on your face. So he didn’t know. There was no point in hiding it now. Better now than having him find out when you have to go to the hospital.

You let out a heavy sigh and turn to the robot idol. “Mettaton, there is something I have to tell you. I-”

“ATTENTION, EVERYONE! I, THE GREAT CHEF PAPYRUS, HAVE FINISHED COOKING DINNER!” Papyrus announced over the voices of everyone in the room. “PLEASE COME AND ENJOY MY SUPERB COOKING!”

Mettaton physically cringed. He wasn’t the only one in the room to do so. Everyone kind of lingered where they were before some brave ones entered the kitchen. The moment was lost and you let it die. Somehow you’ll summon the courage to tell him at a later date.You pat the robot reassuringly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I cooked most of it.” you signed to him with a confident smile and he released a sigh of relief.

“There is a God!” he exclaimed under his breath making you chuckle.

“Question.”

“Shoot, my dear.”

You turn to him with a playful grin on your face. “How can you choke on liquid?”

Yeah, you’ll definitely tell him later.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Hello everyone! To be honest I haven't been home for the past week and won't be home until May 2nd or the 1st. So the Q& A will be in next week's chapter because I haven't had the time to write it and I've barely had the time to write this one. Anyway please enjoy!
> 
> Also I don't think I got Undyne right :(

“WOWIE! LOOK AT ALL THE HUMANS!”

You clapped your hands over your ears when Papyrus decided to yell his thought out loud right next to you. But he was right. There was a lot of people here. Yet that was to be expected at an airport. You got up with your bags to move over to the seat on other side of Sans. That way your ears wouldn’t get blasted again by the happy skeleton. Your knee bounced up and down in excitement. This was actually happening. You were really here. Your song was going to become a music video.

After Mettaton had gotten his upgrade, he had made sure to schedule times to work with you. Despite his already jam packed schedule. At least 2-3 times a week, you would be in his office discussing music or on stage listening to vocals. A few months later you both finally did it. The song was completed.

But was Mettaton going to just announce it at one of his live concerts? Of course not. It’s Mettaton. Instead he immediately began planning the script of a music video for it. He didn’t leave you out of the loop. The robot had dragged you headlong into the creation process with him. Asking you what story that you wanted it to portray and how you would go about doing it. Every time he had an idea or a concern, he brought it to you first. In the end, you finally made a script and what the scenes would be.

You had thought that once that was done then that was it. But nope. Mettaton wanted you to be IN the video with him. You were going to play songbird. To be honest, you should have expected this. After all, that has been your nickname since Mettaton had met you. So here you were. In an airport with Sans and Papyrus on your way to Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. Both had been invited to come along which you were grateful for. Now why were you going to a specific castle in Germany? Well in several of the scenes it depicts a castle covered in snow in the background. When Mettaton and you had done your research, he had fallen in love with the building. The next day he had bought you tickets and rented out an entire hotel in preparation.

Despite everything taking months, it all felt like it had gone so fast. Each day had been a lot of fun. It felt like it was a dream. You were surrounded by good times and great friends everyday that it felt so surreal. Hopefully, when this was all done and over with Mettaton wouldn’t forget you. 

Your heart ached at the thought. Over the past few months, the flamboyant robot had grown on you. If he decided to stop talking to you once this was all done it would hurt. A lot. You shook your head to erase the previous thoughts. No. He wouldn’t do that. 

Mettaton wasn’t that kind of guy. He wouldn’t forget about you or leave you alone. Though he would probably be so busy that he couldn’t stop by and talk like he normally did anyway. You heaved a heavy sigh to rouse yourself back to reality. Bringing your attention back to your surroundings. Swarms of people walked through the terminal trying to find the correct flights. Sans was asleep on your left and Papyrus sat beyond that. Well... He should have been. The tall skeleton wasn’t there now.

Quickly, you stood up, looking through the crowds. Hoping that his tall stature could be used to your advantage but to no avail. There were to many people and you weren’t tall enough to see over them. So you set you carry on to the side, hoisting yourself up onto the seat in an attempt to view from a higher vantage point. Nothing. Wherever the skeleton went, it was outside your line of sight. You run your fingers through your hair in frustration before hopping off the seat to shake Sans awake.

“Where’s the fire, kiddo?” grumbled the smaller skeleton groggily. He stretched with a yawn.

Once he had his eye sockets on you, you were able to respond. “Papyrus has wandered off. I don’t know where he went.”

Sans shook his head, standing up. “Well we better go find him. The others should be arriving soon and then we’ll be heading out.”

Splitting up Papyrus’s things so that nothing was left behind to be stolen, you lug your own stuff along. Calling out for the younger skeleton with the read text option on your emergency phone, hoping he can hear you through the crowd. You wandered through the airport until you realized something. This place was huge and you had no idea where you were. None of the things around you looked familiar. At this point, the additional baggage was getting rather heavy. While trying to adjust the weight around, you bumped into someone causing you to fall on your back. The luggage sprawling out everywhere.

“I’m so sorry!” You signed to the person after getting up. They didn’t seem to notice. You gathered up the luggage only to be almost knocked down again. This time you made sure nothing would go flying. Once you could, you stood up and actually got a look at the person.

Before you was a really tall fish lady. Her red hair tied up into a ponytail. She was arguing with a security officer. Your presence completely ignored despite bumping into her twice. The woman looked pretty strong. She probably didn’t even feel it.

“What do you mean this isn’t the right place? How could I be wrong?!” she demanded, shaking the poor officer by his collar. “It is almost time for the plane to take off and I haven’t even found my friends!”

The security officer was trying to reach his radio in an attempt to call for back up by distracting her. “M-Ma’am... Who are your friends?” 

“A yellow dinosaur! Two skeletons! A pink and black robot! Kinda hard to miss in this crowd!” she growled out, shaking the officer more.

You looked up. Was she talking about Alphys, Sans, Papyrus, and Mettaton? Without any hesitation, you tap the intimidating blue fish lady on the arm to get her attention. Her piercing yellow eye glanced down at you. The other hidden behind an old eye patch. You give her a shy smile. It seems like every one of Sans’s friends could understand sign language. If she was his friend then she probably knew it too. It was worth a shot.

“Sorry to interrupt but were you talking about Alphys, Sans, Papyrus, and Mettaton?” your hands shook while you signed. The woman’s intimidating aura starting to get to you. 

“You know them?!” she dropped the officer and turned her full attention to you. Her anger replaced with hope. You nodded your head. Placing a hand on the officer’s to stop him from calling help, you gave him a gentle smile. So far your hunch was correct but it was highly unlikely that the officer was able to understand you. But if he did it was better than trying to find your phone in all your luggage. Putting it in your carry on had not been your best idea.

“Officer please don’t call anyone. I got this.” you signed to him only to receive a look of confusion. Yep, he didn’t understand. So you turned to the fish lady. “Could you repeat what I said to him please?”

“Why?” she looked at you confused.

“Because not everyone can understand sign language. If you don’t he is probably going to call more officers since you kind of attacked him?” 

“Fine, fine..” She grumbled but relayed the message. The officer looked from you to the fish lady before nodding. He gets up and heads out. Straightening his uniform as if nothing happened. You let out a sigh of relief.

“So you are headed to Germany too?” you asked her before trying to pick up all the luggage.

“Mhmm. Name’s Undyne.” She watched you for a second. Then after watching you struggle with all the weight, she took them from you while still carrying hers. The muscles in her arms showing through her leather jacket. “These all yours?”

“(y/n) and no. Most are Papyrus’s. Sans has the rest. Paps just wandered off so we split up to search for him.” You tried to get some of the bags back from her but Undyne refused to let you carry anything.

She let out a snort. “Yeah. Sans is looking alright. Looking in his seat with his eyes closed.”

“U-Undyne! A-Are you okay?”

Both of you turned your heads in the direction of the timid voice. Alphys waddled up, her bags rolling behind her. Undyne flashed her a toothy confident grin. Easily readjusting all the bags she was carrying on to one hand. “All this? This is child’s play!”

You had to admit that seeing one woman lift 6 heavy bags was rather impressive. The yellow dinosaur monster was no exception. Alphys’s dreamy gaze turned to you and her expression turned into a shy small smile. “H-hello, (y/n). I thought you would be with Sans and Papyrus?”

“Papyrus wandered off. So we split up to search.” you began to sign when a tall person with a red scarf walked through the crowd in the distance. “There he is!”

“Where?!” Undyne turned around fast and just caught a glimpse of the red scarf as he turned a corner. “PAPYRUS!” She dashed off at a breakneck speed through the crowd. Not caring who she knocked over in the process thus leaving a trail of poor trampled people behind her.

“U-UNDYNE!” Alphys ran after her with you following close behind. How the fish lady could run that fast with all that added weight was a mystery. Undyne darts around the corner and stops so suddenly that both Alphys and you crash into her. Crumpling to the ground but the fish monster wasn’t fazed. “Undyne! You can’t just go barreling through a crow-”

“THERE HE GOES!” Undyne ignored the two of you, who were getting up off the floor, and pointed to the tall figure in the distance. He turned into a new terminal. The strong fish monster continued her pursuit. Leaving Alphys and you in her dust as you both tried to keep up with her. You ran by a map. The small glance you got made your eyes grow wide. Why was Papyrus on the entire opposite end of the building from where you had started? How had you managed to get that far without noticing? 

You huffed behind the small yellow monster. Who was surprisingly fast despite her small stature. Your heart pounding along side your lungs. Once again, Undyne stopped abruptly. Alphys managed to preemptively stop but you ended up crashing into her anyways at her sudden lack of movement. Getting up again, the both of you panted out of breath. 

“Hey! There she is!”

“Stop!”

“Quit running over people!”

Glancing back down the path that Undyne had made, you silently groaned. Even though you said you had handled it, the security officer was back. With friends. They were running after the three of you. Tripping over fallen people as they went. You tugged Alphys’s arm and pointed to the 4 guards headed your way. 

“U-Undyne! We n-need to s-stop this!” She grabbed Undyne’s arm and you grabbed the other to try and get her attention. The strong fish monster wasn’t listening. Her single yellow eye scouring the crowd in front of you. 

“THERE HE GOES!” Once again, Undyne went after the glimpse of the red scarf. But this time she was dragging you and Alphys along with her. Both of you clung to the arm you held. Holding on for dear life.Around you people screamed in surprise before either jumping out of the way or getting trampled. The calls of the guards fading into the distance. She turned one more time into a long hallway that housed several businesses. Restaurants and gift shops lined either side with lots of people milling about.

Undyne skidded to a stop with Alphys and you dropping to the floor. The small yellow monster stood up with her hands on her knees. “U-Undyne..... Please.... W-We’re g-gonna get in troub-”

“FOUND HIM!”

All you see is Undyne run into a french restaurant and lunge at something. A surprised scream shortly following.You share a brief look with Alphys. Her eyes mirroring your worried ones. Without a word, you both get up. Running into the restaurant after Undyne.

Several people were clustered around the monster and her victim. Somehow you both managed to push your way through the crowd. “Undyne dd-id y-you get Papyru-” Alphys started to ask when she saw the same thing you did. The luggage was dropped around Undyne who had the person she was pursuing pinned down. But it wasn’t Papyrus. It was a mime. Who probably worked at the restaurant that you all stood in. The red scarf around his neck all askew. Alphys stepped up next to her, placing a hand on the monster’s blue shoulder.“U-Undyne that isn’t Papyrus.” 

“Ya, think?” Undyne stood up with a frustrated sigh. The poor mime knocked out on the floor. You looked around at the ever growing crowd of people, tugging on Alphys’s arm then Undyne’s.

“We need to get out of here...” you signed to them both once you had their attention. Undyne let out an affirmative grunt. She picked up the luggage and walked out. The crowd scrambling to get out of her way. You following behind her with Alphys. Then you took her arm and guided her into a nearby girls room to hide from any security officers that may be on there way to check the disturbance.

“W-Where could h-he be?” Alphys wrung her hands with a worried expression on her face.

You smiled reassuringly to Alphys. The yellow eye of Undyne noticing this immediately. “What you smilin about, punk? We still don’t know where Papyrus is after that chase that YOU pointed out.” 

“I never thought I would live to see the day that I would see someone tackle a mime.” Silently giggling as you signed it. A few moments after you said it your phone went off. Quickly, you snatched your carry on from Undyne and fished out your phone. One message waiting for you.

Sans 1:35pm  
Found Papyrus. He saw a kid in a striped shirt and thought it was Frisk. 

Flipping the phone around, you showed Alphys and Undyne the text. They both breathed a sigh of relief. “W-well, this i-is good! Go a-ahead and message h-him these details. Mettaton sent me the flight information. W-We can meet up there. I-I was just going to lead us all t-there together b-but this is probably easier, at this point.” Alphys then listed off where everyone was supposed to be and you sent it all to Sans. Receiving a confirmation in a few seconds. With that, the yellow monster starts walking off urging Undyne and you to follow. From behind, Undyne wolf-whistled at the smaller monster causing her to pick up the pace out of the embarrassment. You raised an eyebrow at the tall fish woman. 

“You know, I hate to see her leave but I love to watch her go.” Undyne said with a chuckle. She didn’t keep it low either. She had said it loudly. Everyone around you had heard it. Even from behind you could see the blush that had seemed to take over Alphys’s body. You give Undyne another look in which she just laughs off. “What? I can’t compliment the girlfriend?”

“Wait.. You two are?” You began to sign but stopped when she just waggled her eyebrows at you. “You don’t seem like the easy to trust type? Why are you opening up so quickly?”

“You’re friends with Papyrus and Sans right?” she asks as Alphys slows to a halt at an almost empty terminal. There were a couple flight attendants, with Sans and Papyrus waiting there. You nod your head at Undyne then give the skeleton brothers a wave. “Then you are already a friend to me in my book.” 

What? Just like that? Almost every monster you have met has been this way. Not long after you met them they seemed to become your friend. First Sans and Papyrus... Then BP, Mettaton, and Alphys.... It was amazing how generous these monsters were. You wouldn’t be surprised that they were better people than most humans. Well, at least most humans you knew.

Alphys walks right past the skeleton brothers to talk to the attendants while Undyne and yourself wandered over to them. “(Y/N)! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE FOUND YOU.” You were swept up into a gentle hug by Papyrus. He twirled you around before setting you down. Undyne set the bags down and he picked his up from the pile. You tried to take yours but she didn’t give you the chance. She swiped up the bags, holding them high above your head. 

“Come on! Can I have my stuff back?” you asked her after jumping a couple times in an attempt to get them.

“With those scrawny arms? I don’t think so.” She gave you a toothy grin, showing off her sharp teeth. “Next time Papyrus and I are having a training day you are coming along.” 

“But she looks absolutely fabulous the way she is.”

Mettaton walked in from the airplane walkway. A broad grin on his features. He easily grabbed your things from Undyne and handed them to you. “Thank you, Mettaton.” you gratefully shouldered your things as he walked back to the walkway and addressed the group.

“Alright, Darlings! Whose ready to go to Germany?”


	10. Easter Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Happy Easter everyone! You get the regular chapter and a special chapter this week. The regular chapter will be posted later this week. This may be cannon later but not in the current story timeline. Anyway I hope you all enjoy and have fun today! Also the children's story mentioned is not written by me. I found it here: http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/hare_elephant.htm  
> I repeat it is not mine!

“You know, if you didn’t like it then all you had to do was say so.” Mettaton said not amused. His tone turning offended towards the end.

Not that you really noticed. It didn’t matter. You were currently hunched over clutching your sides as silent laughter shook your entire being, tears streaking down your cheeks. Earlier, you had been working with Napstablook when you had been called to the robot idol’s office, only to find Mettaton dressed up in an Easter bunny costume. He had long white ears, his nose painted pink with whiskers on his cheeks, and a fluffy cotton tail to pull the whole outfit off. Your sides hurt but you couldn’t stop. Seeing him dressed up like that had made you lose it.

The clearly offended robot sat on the edge of his desk as he waited for your laughing fit to end. Putting his head in his hands, he watched your shaking form. Taking deep breaths, you slowly regained your composure. You walked over to the window seat and sat down while wiping tears from your face.

“You done, songbird?”

“Yes, yes! I’m done. What...what is this,” You began to sign to him before gesturing to his get up. “ all about?”

Mettaton raises an eyebrow at you. It was obvious that he wasn’t sure if you were actually done laughing at him. Then again the big grin on your face probably wasn’t reassuring him at all. You pretend to cough in your hand to hide some last minute giggles.

“Songbird, do I really look that silly? It’s for Easter.” he asks with an exasperated sigh.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, you give him a playful nod. “But I will admit, you look rather cute!” you sign to him with a silent giggle.

“Oh, darling, I think you can find a better adjective than that.” Mettaton stood up tall and brushed his black locks from his face, giving you one of his signature poses.

“True, you look truly.... _Egg_ -cellent.” you sign to him only to receive a groan in return.

“Sans has corrupted you, my little songbird.” Mettaton stated sitting back down on the edge of his desk while rubbing his temples. Immediately, your giggle fit was back and you rolled around on the window seat. When you managed to calm down again you see Mettaton watching you with a playful smirk on his face. “Well, at least one of us is having fun.”

“So... Why?” you ask him again.

“Right! Well, my dear, I received an email from the children’s hospital that isn’t to far from here. They asked me to stop by for a visit.” He said as he leaned back on the desk to read the email on his computer. “Of course, I naturally agreed. Since Easter is in the next couple days, I figured I would do something for the little dears while I was there.”

“What were you planning on doing?” you signed to him once he had turned his attention back to you.

“I did some research and found this darling little story called The Hare and The Elephant.” He picked up a printed off copy off his desk and handed it to you. “I figured I would perform it for the little cuties. Thus..” He struck a pose and used his arm to gesture down his getup. “ the costume!”

You chuckled at him and flipped through the short story. “So why did you call me up here?”

“Well, this is all short notice and some of the kiddies are deaf or mute.” Mettaton says while scratching the back of his head through the costume. “Would you mind being a translator for me?”

“Of course!” you say after putting the book in your lap. “When will we be going?”

“In about....4 hours.” Mettaton says giving you a show stopping grin but you aren’t letting it go.

Your eyes grew wide. “FOUR HOURS? What about the other narrator? The one who can speak? Who is gonna play the elephant? This really is short notice!”

“Oh, I know! I just got wind of it earlier today but I can’t say no to them! As for the other roles... I haven’t gotten that far...” Mettaton said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

A knocking at the door had you both looking up as Sans and Papyrus made their way into the office. Sans had to hold back tears and giggles when he saw Mettaton’s outfit whereas Papyrus didn’t seem to be fazed by it. Mettaton gave them a confused look as to why they were here. Then looked at you questioningly.

“They were supposed to bring me some new clothes since I hadn’t gotten a chance to go home.” you explained then gave a happy wave to the skeleton brothers.

“Yup. Got ‘em right here, kiddo.” Sans said as he raised up a bag and tossed it to you. It landed in your lap and you gave the skeleton a grateful smile. Mettaton shot up and you all looked at him.

“Sans... Papyrus... Are you guys free for the rest of the day?” the robot asked the two with a renewed gleam in his eye.

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS WAS JUST GOING TO TRAIN TODAY!” Papyrus proclaimed proudly while striking a heroic pose.

The smaller skeleton put his hands in his hoodie pockets “I was thinkin of hittin up Grillbyz later.”

“Would you two mind helping a certain robot out?” Mettaton asked them sweetly.

“OF COURSE, METTATON!” Papyrus exclaimed, truly happy that he could help his favorite idol out.

Sans gave him a shrug before noticing your pleading look that was directed his way. He caved. “Eh, I’ve got nothin better to do.”

“MARVELOUS!” Mettaton cried as he pulled the two into a tight hug. “It looks like we have our other narrator and elephant!”

You waited until Mettaton had released the two and you tapped the glass of the ever changing windows to get the boys attention. “I hate to say it Mettaton.... But shouldn’t Sans be the hare and you be the elephant?”

“Why do you say that, darling?”

“Well.... The elephant is supposed to be tall and you are taller than Sans. It would be weird if it was the other way around.” you signed to them.

“Hey, hey kiddo! You callin me short?” Sans said with mock hurt.

“Good things come in small packages, Sans.” you raise your hands in innocent surrender as Sans mulled what you said over.

He gave you a playful wink, “Nice save, kid.”

Mettaton let out a frustrated sigh. “I wanted to be the hare....” He stopped and thought about it some more. Getting more annoyed the more he thought about it. “But you are right and I don’t have the time to look for another story.”

Taking charge you clap your hands to get all their attention again. “Then let’s get an elephant and bunny costume! We need to rehearse!” you sign after putting the book on the seat and hopping up. “Let’s go!”

So after three costume shops and several practice performances later, the four of you were walking through the children’s hospital. The nurse’s eyes light up when they saw your group and led you to where you were supposed to be. As soon as Mettaton walked into the door in his elephant costume, the high pitched squeals of happy children filled the room. 

The ones that could ran up to him and started talking a mile a minute. He laughed. Kneeling down, he talked with them a bit on their level and gave them each a hug. The kids in the beds weren’t left out either. The robot made sure all the children got to say hello before walking to the front of the room and clapping his hands to get there attention.

“Hello, you adorable darlings~! Today, with the help of my friends, we are going to put on a little show. The Hare and The Elephant! So gather around everyone~” Mettaton said in a sing song voice and the children eagerly obliged. You and Papyrus made sure all the kids could see. Moving beds with the help of nurses so that everyone could see the show. Once that was done, Papyrus took his spot off to the side and you moved to where you were visible by all but still off to the side.

Sans stood next to Mettaton in a smaller bunny costume. A fake bunny nose strapped to his skeletal face. He looked adorable and you had made sure to take several pictures at the costume shops to show everyone later. There had still been some dispute about who should have been the hare but in the end... time won out. The robot idol flipped his trunk to the side as he waited for the children to settle down so that they could begin. Taking his cue, Papyrus opened the book to the first page and began reading. Making sure to keep his voice to a more normal tone. Immediately, you began to sign the words of the story and some of the children perked up. Happy that they will be able to understand.

_Once upon a time, in the jungle, lives a young elephant whose playmate was a very large hare. In spite of the difference in size, they were great friends and had fun playing strange guessing games. One day, the hare said to his good friend..._

“Hey, buddy. Which of us is bigger? You or me?” Sans said while gesturing to Mettaton and then himself.

_At the silly question, the little elephant nearly fell over from laughing._

“Oh my goodness, darling! You must certainly be joking!” Mettaton exclaimed after his laughter had rang around the room. He bent over and gave Sans a playful but challenging flick on his forehead. “Why, even on tiptoe, you’re not as high as my _fabulous_ knee!”

You stumbled in signing because of Mettaton’s improv. Sans eyes narrowed a bit and he rubbed his forehead. Yet he continued the story, “That’s irr- _elephant_! Since I say that I’m bigger than you, we need a judge. Don’t you agree?”

Mettaton’s eye twitched at the pun. Sans was returning the look with an equally challenging one. One of his eyes starting to flare up a bright blue color. They both seemed to be getting a bit heated. Papyrus gave you a look and you shrugged at him. Maybe they were still fighting because of who got to play the hare? They stopped when Papyrus cleared his throat.

“Oh, darling! Yes!” said Mettaton regaining his composure. “ I know! Why don’t we go to that cute little village over there and see what they have to say? I bet the dearies will be the cutest of dearies and the best of judges.” As he spoke he strutted forward and gestured out to the children. Who all squealed in delight. Mettaton looked back at Sans and gave him a challenging look. You shook your head. It seems that the best actor would be decided by the kids. This could get out of hand...

Turning the page, Papyrus picked up the story again and you signed alongside him.

_As they reached the village, they met some of the villagers. “Look at that young elephant! Isn’t he small?” folk remarked as the unusual duo walked by._

Without a second thought, Mettaton walked forward and up to the children. Strutting his legs and making elephant noises to the giggles of the kids. Sans eye flickered even more. Papyrus was so into the story that he didn’t notice the competition between the two.

_“Yes, he is indeed! But he’ll soon grow up,” said others. Then somebody noticed the hare... “What a huge hare!” they all cried._

At that, a blue aura enveloped Mettaton and he was launched up to the ceiling. “What the-... SANS!” The robot flailed in the air, flustered, and the kids erupted into laughter. The stout skeleton ignored him. “Put me down!”

“Nah.” Sans walked forward as Papyrus continued the story without noticing what was going on.

_Now, the hare tried to keep in front of the elephant and puffed out his chest. As he passed, all the villagers exclaimed: “Look at his paws! And those ears! That’s the biggest hare we’ve ever seen!”_

Sans commenced to prance around the room while forcing Mettaton to come along. Puffing out his chest as the story said. Much to the children’s amusement. They watched as Mettaton struggled to break free from the skeleton’s magic to no avail. Eventually he gave up and just laid on his side in the air. Looking at his nails, while waiting for Sans to finish his little parade. Sans did a few laps before stopping back at their original positions.

“You done?” the robot asked in a bored tone.

“Yep.”

“Can I get down now?”

“ _Hop_ -pily.” Sans said and he lowered Mettaton to the ground and released him of his magic. Mettaton was shaking his head at the stout skeleton’s pun. The robot’s reaction eliciting even more giggles from the children.

“MAY WE CONTINUE ON?” Papyrus asked. He had stopped the moment he had heard the children’s laughter at Mettaton being paraded around like a balloon.

“Yes please, darling!” Mettaton smiled while gesturing to continue. The robot gave Sans a glare and he gave an innocent shrug. Papyrus cleared his throat again.

_When he heard this, the hare turned to his friend, saying..._

“We can go home now, buddy! It’s settled.” Sans said while giving Mettaton a smug grin. “I’m huge and you’re tiny!” As he said this the skeleton made an implied gesture to Mettaton, in the blind spot so the kids couldn’t see. Sans then turned to the kids leaving the robot behind him with a rather annoyed but shocked look on his face.

_The elephant tossed his heavy head. At a loss for words, he knew the hare had won by low cunning. But back on the jungle path, he lifted his foot and said to the hare, walking ahead...._

“Get out of my way before a _tiny_ elephant crushes a big hare like you!” As he said it, Mettaton raised his hot pink boot and started noogying the top of Sans skull with it. The skeleton tried to swat at Mettaton but he elegantly evaded. Sans went after him and a game of cat and mouse began. The two chased each other around the room dodging over medical equipment, beds, and children. You looked up at Papyrus. A playful smirk on your face.

_They lived happily ever after. The end._

Papyrus closed the book and cheers came from the tiny hands of the crowd as joyful laughter filled the room. The children watched the two monsters with glee as they pursued one another. It continued until one of the orderlies came in.

“Alright, everyone! Time for the egg hunt!” she called. “What are you two doing?” the orderlies tone turned chastising.

Sans and Mettaton stopped their fighting. Mettaton was in the midst of an air kick but Sans had stopped him with his magic. The robot was released from the magic once again. They both hung their heads in shame under the nurse’s disapproving glare causing the kids to laugh again. You chuckled along with them. It wasn’t often that you got to see a skeleton and an international star get treated like little kids. There was no winner in this contest.

You helped get the kids ready while the others lead a group outside. Soon you were all in the courtyard hunting for eggs. Papyrus was giving a couple of the kids piggy back rides while Sans was helping a kid with his magic reach an egg in a tree. Mettaton was being pulled this way and that by the children. They ran up to him showing him what they had found. At the same time he was helping kids look. You sat on a bench under a tree in the center of the courtyard, watching it all happen. Everyone looked so happy and joyous. A warm feeling spread throughout your heart. This was such a good thing to do. You were glad Mettaton had brought you along. 

Once the egg hunt was done, Mettaton gave all the kids a final farewell. He hugged each and every one, even going inside to all the ones who couldn’t go outside. This robot had a heart of gold. It was so sweet that he pulled this all together last minute for the kids. Eventually, he walked back into the courtyard and joined you on the bench with a tired sigh.

“Despite it going slightly awry, this was a lot of fun!” you signed to him encouragingly.

Mettaton chuckled. “Of course it was fun. I was there!” You rolled your eyes at him. “I can’t believe I let Sans get under my metal like that. They all saw me lose composure!”

“It made the performance even better because of it!” You pulled out your phone and showed Mettaton the picture that you took of Sans and him being scolded by the nurse. “This was hilarious!”

“Delete that!” he exclaimed while lunging for your phone. You quickly evade and put it into your pocket, silently laughing as you do.

“No way, Mettaton! I’ve got something to my advantage on you two.”

“I’ve got something to my advantage too....”

“Oh really? Wha-” you were forcefully cut off as Mettaton wrapped his long arms around you and pulled you close, squishing your hands between you two. Your body pressed up against the cool metal of his chest. He lifted your face gently. Before you had a chance to comprehend what was going on, he pressed his lips to yours.

A bright blush spread across your face while your heart thudded loudly in your chest. You heard the sound of a camera and flinched. Slowly he pulled away and when he did you noticed that your pocket felt light. Mettaton raised his hand and in it was your phone. He did something on your phone before handing it back to you. Quickly, you unlocked it and made sure the picture was still there. It was but now there was a new one. The picture was of you and Mettaton had just done. The robot had set it to your background.

“Songbird...”

You looked up to have Mettaton press a kiss to your forehead. He pulled away, chuckling at your flustered reaction.

“Thanks for coming with me.”


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I wasn't home for the past weeks and just got back about an hour ago.... So here it is!

You pushed the drawer to the dresser closed and walked over to the large bed in the middle of the room. With a relieved sigh, you flopped onto it. The two flights had taken a whole day and a half. Sans, Mettaton, and Alphys had taken all the sitting rather well but Papyrus and Undyne had gotten a little stir crazy. If Mettaton hadn’t of challenged them to a rather intense staring contest they probably would have trashed the plane. You couldn’t believe how competitive those two were. Once you had landed, there were a couple shuttle buses waiting for your group to take you to the hotel. Everyone was assigned a room and here you were. To be honest, you were exhausted from the flight but it was only 1pm here. There was no way you were going to sleep that soon. Evil time zones.

“Songbird~” the metallic voice accompanied the light knocking on your door. You sat up with a stretch. Hopping off the bed, you walk over to the door and open it to reveal a rather ecstatic Mettaton. “There you are, Darling!”

“What’s up?” You sign up to him.

“Well, I thought that it was to early to turn in for the night.... Everyone I asked pretty much said the same things except for Sans... So we figured we could hop over to Nuremburg and go sightseeing for a bit.” Mettaton gave you a playful wink. “The Christkindlmarkt is happening right now and it’s supposed to be magical!”

Anything was better than just laying on your bed trying not to fall asleep. Quickly, you leave Mettaton at the doorway to grab your wallet and other essentials. You closed the door to your room making sure it was locked. “What’s the Christkindlmarkt?”

“It’s a Christmas market! The whole center of town is dedicated to it. Who doesn’t love the beautiful ambiance of Christmas?” Mettaton stated while he leaned next to you on the wall.

“That’s true.” You give him an excited smile.

“G-Guys! O-Our ride is here!”

Mettaton grabs your hand and starts leading you down the hallway. “Come on, darling! This is gonna be fun!” He leads you down to the hotel lobby then out the doors. Undyne, Sans, Papyrus, and Alphys were already outside waiting for you. Papyrus was practically vibrating into space from the excitement.

You run up to them happily. “Okay! Let’s go!”

 

A short bus ride later, you stood on the edge of the market. Beautifully decorated wooden houses filled the center of the town. People milled about looking at all the Christmas ornaments and enjoying the festivities. You walked up to one of the stalls. Your eyes going wide in awe at all of the beautiful Christmas tree decorations. The others wandered over to where you stood, admiring everything with you. Eventually Alphys and Undyne wandered off in their own direction while Sans followed along beside Papyrus who darted around nearby. Leaving just Mettaton and you.

“Ah, Christmas. Why is it that you are so magical?” He picked up a pretty crystal ornament and held it up to the light.

“The stories, kindness, joy of the people, lights, and of course Santa Claus.” Your hands signed while your eyes took in everything. The colors were so beautiful with all of the red, green, silver, and gold.

Mettaton walked over to the next stall, giving you a playful smirk while you followed close behind. “Why of course! Santa! Who could forget the fabulous jolly man?”

“WHO COULD FORGET SANTA?!” Papyrus seemed to appear next to you. His arms already full of a bunch of pretty baubles. Sans wandering up behind him. You all started walking along until something catches your eye.

Snuggling the scarf around your neck in an attempt to hide it from the winter cold, you walked over to a stall selling handmade jewelry and picked up the snowflake necklace that had caught your attention. It was on a simple chain with crystals throughout the snowflake design. The crystals glowed brilliantly in the Christmas lights.

“Whatcha got there, kiddo?” Sans looked over your shoulder at what you held. “Gonna buy yourself a birthday present?” Your eyes grew wide with surprise at his statement.

You whirl around on stout skeleton. “No.... It’s not my birthday ye-”

“It’s Songbird’s birthday?! Why didn’t you tell me!” Mettaton was right next to Sans in a second.

Papyrus pushed Mettaton out of the way. “WE NEED TO PLAN A PARTY! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE IT SPECTACULAR!”

Mettaton pushed his way back in. “I’ll rent a venue and sing for the entertainment!”

“Guys....?” You sign to try to get Mettaton and Papyrus’s attention to no avail. They were already discussing party plans amongst the two of them.

“I WILL CATER WITH MY TRULY MAGNIFICENT SPAGHETTI!”

“I’ll have to make sure to have the poison control center on standby.....”

You poke Mettaton and Papyrus’s arms. Yet again, you are ignored. Your shoulders slumped as a paper bag was pressed into your arms by a boney hand. What the? Why had Sans pushed a bag into your hands? Opening the bag, you see a simple velvet jewelry box. You glance up at Sans who gives you a bored shrug. Inside the box was the necklace that you had been looking at. Your eyes grew wide. Wait what? Sure enough the necklace was no longer in your hands but in the box. When had he gotten a hold of that? How had he taken it without you noticing?

“Sans..... Thank you but...” you look at the necklace and then back at Sans. “It’s not my birthday...”

The stout skeleton chuckled, “I know it’s not, kiddo. It’s in little over a week.”

Mettaton let out a squeal of excitement “Even better, darling!” He grabbed your shoulders and gently twirled you around before he caught you. “Leave it to me. This party will be the biggest birthday bash ever!”

“Thank you but.... I don’t want something that big...” You look at the necklace Sans had given you. “This is already to much. The fact that you are all here is more than enough.”

“You sure, darling?” Mettaton asked, taking the necklace from the box and helping you put it on. His excitement fading into slight disappointment rather quickly. You nod your head and give him a smile once the snowflake is laying against your scarf. Knowing Mettaton the party would be bigger than the Oscar awards. There was no way you were going to let that happen.

“How did you even know about it, Sans?” You turned to the skeleton perplexed. Your birthday hadn’t been brought up once in the conversations that you have had in the past. So how did he know?

He chuckled at your confused face. “ It was written on your calendar. I just happened to look is all.”

“So your keeping an _eye socket_ on me eh?” You gave Sans a mischievous grin.

Mettaton froze in his tracks. He had given you a rather evil glare at your pun but now he was eyeing Sans with it. “Don’t you dare Sans! Don’t you take the bait!” At this point, the robot was already in Sans face commanding him to not do what everyone knew he was about to.

“Well....After and outburst like that.. I would say a pun but...” Sans leaned in towards Mettaton while giving him his biggest shit eating grin. “ _I don’t have the guts!_ ”

Papyrus let out a loud groan of dismay. “SANS! YOU HAVE RUINED THIS HUMAN!” Mettaton stood up and away from the small skeleton, rubbing the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance. You, on the other hand, clapped your hands to your mouth. Allowing the silent giggles to shake your shoulders.

Undyne appeared through the crowd with Alphys next to her. They eyed the four of you curiously. Taking the option to not ask why the two of you were laughing while Papyrus and Mettaton looked like they wanted to vanish. “Hey punks. We’re both hungry. Why don’t we all head over there and get something to eat?” Undyne pointed to a restaurant that was set in between a couple of stalls selling more cutesy Christmas things. Your stomach grumbled loudly in response making a slight blush appear on your cheeks. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Everyone follows her into the restaurant. After taking a booth, a waitress comes up and asks what everyone wants to drink. Mettaton and Alphys had translated.

“I’ll take a hot cocoa.” You signed before playing with you new necklace.

“Oh come on! We’re in Germany! Live a little!” Undyne stood up and thumped her fist on the table making the condiments jump. “She’ll have a beer! Just like me!”

“Oh no! I couldn’t.....” You began when your eyes lit up as you realized on how you could get out of drinking the alcohol. Undyne’s ego was big. All you had to do was stroke it a bit and she would back off. “I couldn’t keep up with you Undyne. You hold your liquor to well. I don’t think I know anyone who could keep up with you.”

“Hmmm That’s true... I am the best.” Undyne sat back next to Alphys appeased. You let out a relieved sigh. Crisis averted.

“NOW HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN KEEP UP WITH UNDYNE.” Papyrus shot up from his seat, striking a heroic pose.

Crap. This is not what you had wanted to do! “Uh... I don’t think that’s a good idea, Papyrus....” your hands sign what Sans was about to say. You had just meant to appease Undyne so you could order a normal drink. Not incite a challenge to anyone. Let alone Papyrus wanting to challenge Undyne to a drinking contest. You drop your hands to the table, once again ignored. What have you just done?

“NONESENSE! LET’S GO, UNDYNE!”

“ALRIGHT, LET’S GO, PAPS!” Undyne turned to the waitress with a look of pure determination in her eye. “Two beers and keep ‘em comin.”

“If we are doing this then I’m setting some ground rules.” Mettaton said before telling the waitress what everyone ordered. He then stood at the end of the booth with an air of authority about him. “Rule one. The first person who can’t finish their drink loses. Rule two. First person to pass out loses. Rule three. If Alphys deems it to dangerous for one or both of you to continue then the contest ends. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. We’ll find another way to deem a winner. Do you agree, dearies?”

“YES, METTATON! BUT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT LOSE!”

“You got it, Metta, and THOSE ARE FIGHTING WORDS!”

The waitress came back a few moments later with the drinks. Making sure to give everyone else theirs before setting 10 beers of something German on the table. She was about to walk away when Mettaton gently grabbed her arm. He said something to her and she nodded before giving him a grin. The girl walked off while calling something to the bartender. Mettaton then turned to Undyne and Papyrus. Sans, Alphys, and you having moved to the table next to the booth.

Mettaton flipped his black locks out of his eyes before addressing the two contenders. “Alright, you two. On my mark.”

“3”

Undyne grabbed her first beer prompting Papyrus to grab his.

“2”

Papyrus gave Undyne a mocking look making her growl under her breath.

“1”

They were both standing in the booth with their bodies kind of leaning over the table. Both had their game faces on and the air around them was getting intense.

“BEGIN!”

Quickly, they thrust the beers into their mouths. Chugging the musky liquid down as if their lives depended on it. Just as soon as the bottle hit their mouths, they were slamming them empty on the table and grabbing the next one in line. A different waitress walked up with some brats making sure to place them on your table. You grab one and take a bite as a third sound of glass hitting wood was heard. Turning to Sans, you give him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry.... I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Sans let out a heavy sigh then gave you a shrug. “I know you didn’t. I’ll _beer_ honest with you. Paps normally isn’t a drinker so he’ll definitely be feeling it tomorrow. Meaning guess who is gonna be helpin him with his guaranteed hangover?” He gave you a wink as he grabbed himself some food.

“Fair enough.” you sign to him. This was accidentally inspired by you so you were going to deal with the consequences. The first waitress made another appearance by placing 10 new beers on the table and clearing away the empty ones.

Neither Papyrus nor Undyne showed any signs of slowing down. They were about halfway through their second set of beers when the waitress returned with more. You set the rest of your dinner to the side. No longer hungry. Alphys sat next to you reading one of the bottles. Her eyes grew wide and she stopped the waitress from placing even more beers on the table.

Undyne turned to the yellow monster when she realized that there wasn’t anymore beer to continue the contest. “What the hell, Alphys? I’m barely buzzed!”

“I-I’M DOING QUITE WELL MYSELF!”

Alphys cleared her throat. “I-I c-can’t allow you to d-drink anymore of these! This b-beer has a much high alcohol content than what you are used too! You could get p-poisoned!”

The tall fish woman scoffed in disbelief. “POISONED? I’ll have you know I’m perfectly fi-”

“Now, darling...” Mettaton stepped in front of Undyne, using his tall stature to appear intimidating. His normal sassy voice dropping a couple octaves as he leaned in close to the two tipsy monsters. “ You both just drank 30 beers in a matter of minutes. What was rule three?”

“ALPHYS SAYS NO. WE FIND A NEW WAY?”

“I HAVE YOUR NEW WAY RIGHT HERE!” Undyne wraps her arms around Papyrus’s skeletal form and suplexs him into the booth behind her. The booth being destroyed due to the sheer force that she had used.

Wood and dust filled the area but Papyrus wasn’t down for long. He tackled Undyne from his position on the floor making Sans, Mettaton, Alphys, and yourself dodge out of the way as they crashed into the table you had previously occupied. They rolled towards you. Your heart beat picked up in panic while you thrust your hands out in an attempt to protect yourself from the wrestling monsters.

Long metallic arms lifted you out of the way just as they rolled under your mildly frightened form. Your body trembled slightly. The robot idol gently set you down to the ground in a safe spot. Taking a moment, you snapped your eyes closed to calm yourself before a full on attack could happen. This was not going to be the way that Mettaton found out about your heart problem. Not in a German bar while you all were supposed to be having fun in the middle of a monster bar fight. Once you were sure your heart was stable, you gave the robot a relieved smile. “Thank you, Mettaton.”

“No problem, sweetheart.” He then turned to the fighting duo. “Now how to pull them a part....” By now several tables and chairs had been used to the monsters advantage. The broken pieces were scattered about the room with the angry yells of the bar owners in the background. They continued their intense drunken match. No one brave enough to attempt to break them apart.

“ENOUGH!”

Undyne and Papyrus froze mid swing. Everyone’s heads snapped over to the small yellow dinosaur monster. Alphys looked so furious you could almost picture steam billowing from her ears. She walked forward. Grabbed Undyne and Papyrus by the arm and led them out of the building. “There is no winner. I declare this a LOSING TIE! We are going back to the hotel. NOW!” Neither drunk monster had the nerve to say anything. Instead they were completely compliant to Alphys commands. Almost like they were scolded children. When Alphys stands up people listen. You looked at Mettaton then Sans. The complete destruction of the small restaurant laid out before you.

“This is entirely my fault.... I am so sor-” You began to sign before both Sans and Mettaton stopped you.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. This happens quite often.” The skeleton reached up and rustled your hair.

“Yeah. I’ll go pay for the damages.” Mettaton let out a long sigh at the end before turning on his heel to deal with the really pissed off owners. However, despite their claims, you still felt bad. Sans led you out of the restaurant with your head hanging low. Mettaton following a few moments later. The bus ride back to the hotel was silent except for Alphys laying into Undyne and Papyrus. How she managed to keep talking without taking a breath eluded you. You continued to listen until the bus puled into the parking lot.

“I ruined our outing....” You were currently sitting on the couch in Mettaton’s suite in the hotel with your knees curled up to your chest.

The robot shook his head after handing you a cup of hot cocoa. “Darling, we already went over this. Besides it worked out. The two drunk idiots are passed out. Everything was paid for. We got to see some of the Christmas market. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” He gestured to the sleeping forms of Papyrus and Undyne who were out on the floor a few feet away. Completely content after all that had happened. “Anyway, Sans. It’s your turn. Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” Sans spoke up without any hesitation. Somehow when you had all gathered in Mettaton’s glamorous suite you had gotten into playing the classic game of truth or dare. Alphys had already been dared to act out a TV commercial to completion and Mettaton had to run around the hotel lobby screaming ‘Help! I have lost my voice! Help me find it!’ Much to everyone’s amusement some of the hotel staff actually tried to help him look for it. Since the bottle landed on Sans it was his turn.

Mettaton took the recliner next you. Tapping his own cup of hot cocoa in thought. “Hmm... For the rest of the night, everything you say will begin with ‘All hail Lord Mettaton!’”

Sans let out a groan of dismay. “All hail lord Mettaton! I’m gonna have to say this... A _Metta_ -ton of times!” The robot glared at the stout skeleton over his cup.

You chuckled a little bit. “You kinda set him up for that.” Sans took the bottle on the table and gave it a good spin. It revolved around for a while before landing on you.

“A-Alright, (y/n). I-It’s your turn....” Alphys chuckled alongside you.

“All hail Lord Mettaton! Truth or Dare?” Sans said making sure to make it as melodramatic as possible.

“Dare.” your hands signed immediately. Whatever Sans had in mind you could handle it.

“All hail Lord Mettaton! Okay, you need to chill out on this self loathing so...” Sans gives you a playful wink. “Take four ice cubes and stick them in your pockets until they completely melt.”

Getting up, you walked into the kitchen and grab the ice cubes from the fridge dispenser. You made your way back to your seat making sure to place the cubes in your pocket while in full view of everyone. Sans had given you a rather easy one. So you took the bottle and gave it a good spin. It spun until it landed on Alphys for the second time. Her brow knit together in worry. “So Alphys, truth or dare?”

“D-dare.....”

“Go crack a raw egg on your head.” you signed with a silent chuckle, adjusting in your seat as the cold water starts to seep into your clothes.

 

“O-Okay....” the yellow dinosaur got up and walked to the kitchen only to return a couple moments later with an egg in her hand. She quickly brings it down on the top of her head before she gives herself a chance to think about it. “Ew.....” Yolk and shell drizzled down the top of her head and onto her face. The yellow monster’s hand covered in it.

Mettaton held back a small giggle for Alphys’s benefit “Oh but, darling that’s a good thing! Raw eggs are good for hair.”

“Yeah.... Okay....” Alphys mumbled to herself while spinning the bottle. You all watched it go round and round until it finally landed on Mettaton. His previous smugness fading a bit. “Mettaton, T-Truth or D-dare...?”

“I’m not one to back down from a challenge. Dare, darling.” He said while setting his cup on the table next to him.

“I-I d-dare you to k-kiss the person to your left!” Alphys’s stuttering picked up more as she continued on with her challenge.

Your eyes grew wide. You were the person to Mettaton’s left. A small blush formed on your face as you vehemently shook your head. “Hey! No way!” The palms of your hands getting sweaty due to your nervousness. There was no way you were going to give up your first kiss in a scenario like this. Why did Alphys challenge Mettaton to do that? It wasn’t like you would hate to be kissed by him but you weren’t exactly ready for something like that out of the blue.

“Aww... It’s alright, Songbird. I won’t bite I promise.” The robot said with a suave voice but his face wasn’t doing a good job hiding the blush that had worked its way onto his cheeks.

“Nope. Don’t care.” You edged to the far end of the couch feeling kind of trapped. Your heart picking up on your nervous anxiety, picking up it’s pace. Alphys was going to pay for this.

Mettaton leaned over the arm of the couch towards you. Not getting any closer so that it wouldn’t make you feel anymore uncomfortable than you already were. “How about on the forehead? She didn’t say I had to kiss you on the lips.”

You turned to him with a wary look. Alphys’s cry of dismay being heard in the background in conjunction to Sans laughter. “Just the forehead...?”

“Yep. Nothing more.” he says giving you a reassuring patient smile.

A kiss on the forehead wouldn’t be bad.... Thank god for loopholes! Whatever Alphys had tried to incite completely failed. You thought it over for a moment more before nodding your head. “Alright.... Hurry up!” Forehead you could do.

The robot slid over the arm of the couch to you, his head leaning in close to yours. You turned towards him and snapped your eyes closed. The nervous anxiety getting the better of you. You couldn’t do it after all. Quickly, you turn your head away, standing up. Making Mettaton’s lips miss your forehead and hit your cheek.

Your eyes snapped open, clapping a hand to your cheek as you jumped back from Mettaton. A violent blush spreading across your face in seconds. The robot had kissed you on the cheek. Not on purpose but he had done it. Your heart beat fast in your chest. Yet it wasn’t painful. This was a first. He moved back to his spot in the recliner with a distracting cough. A bright blush on his face as well. “Since, songbird was kind of thrown into that last one... She gets to decide the fate of whoever the bottle lands on next....” Using this opportunity to change the subject, with Alphys squealing in delight while Sans was laughing at your reaction. “I’m taking both of those as a yes.” He took the bottle and gave it a spin.

It started to stop on Sans but a blue aura encircled it for a moment. Just a moment. Ensuring so that it landed on Alphys instead. Yet she was to distracted to notice the obvious cheating from the skeleton. Mettaton just gave him a smirk. Not saying anything.

Sans poked the yellow monster to bring her back from whatever was going on in her head. “Truth or dare, Alphys?”

Her eyes grew wide in shock from being picked again. “uh.....D.....Dare? Wait no! Truth! TRUTH!”

“To late, darling. You said dare first.” Mettaton leaned back in his chair. “Those are the rules.”

Leaning in close, you give Alphys the most evil look you could muster. “Guess who is my personal slave for the rest of the night?”

“Oh no.....” The timid monster began to try and hide away.

You smirked as your hands signed what Mettaton vocalized immediately after.

“Oh YES~”

This was going to be fun.

 

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author Q &A~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

 

 

**When is the next update?- To many people to count**

 

I update every Monday unless something comes up. When that happens I will normally give a heads up in the comments and on my profile. There have been a couple times where it has been later in the week but I’m determined to keep it Mettaton Monday! ( **A**  thank you so much for saying that I love it.)

 

 

**What is the reader’s secret? Was it in the past chapters?- Minami Kinoshita**

 

Well it kind of a secret but at the same time it isn’t. It’s the reader’s heart condition. She doesn’t advertise it to the world but it would be hard to just bring up in a conversation. So I would like to think she only brings it up when someone asks specifically about it (Sans and Papyrus), in emergency situations, or she wants someone she cares about to know. (Mettaton because he hasn’t picked up on it.)

 

**I was wondering if the fact that he was a ghost before was going to be brought up?- Anonymous**

 

Yes! It will later. It seems to me that a lot of Mettaton fanfics forget the fact that he is actually a ghost monster possessing that robot body. Instead he is just a robot that was created by Alphys which is half true but he isn’t just a robot!

  
**Will there be smut?- several people lol**  
  
Nope. Nada. No. There will be nothing of that sort in this story because I feel that it would bring the story down. To me.... It just doesn't feel like it would fit. As for the Soul thing well.... Nothing like Soul sex will happen (I have read a few fanfics where that does happen). Its just when you are presenting something that is literally your entire being while being at your most vulnerable state.... (considering when your soul is hurt you get hurt) How would that not be intimate? You would have to trust that person with your life to even think about presenting something like that to them, y'know?

**What inspired you to make this story?- AnimeVirtuoso**

 

I had just gotten into Undertale fanfiction. I had read pretty much every single Sans x Reader and Mettaton X reader that was currently out. When I went to bed the idea just kept swirling in my head. I wrote the concept down so I wouldn’t forget it but I didn’t have too. It kept popping up for 3 days after until I said “SCREW IT! I’M WRITING THIS!”

 

So I wrote out the first chapter and showed it to my friends who completely loved it. They told me to post it and here it is. This story wouldn’t be here at all without my good friends Luna and Meno. They are my chapter testers! Giving me honest feedback so that I feel more confident when I post a new chapter. But the community that has rallied around this story has surprised me!

 

Everyone is so supportive and honest. I love it! I love you all! :D

 


	12. Special chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Happy Mother's Day! This chapter is brought on by Hana is a Neko! She asked for the next chapter to be fluffy for their birthday but due to the way the actual canon chapter would be.... It wouldn't work. (You'll all understand tomorrow.) So instead here is a another special chapter that will happen after the main story is done. Happy Birthday Darling~

People milled about around you. Some were running while others took their time. Everyone off in their own little world. You slumped further into your seat in the hospital lobby. Trying to people watch to get the fact that you were at the hospital off your mind. After having a small scare, Sans had dropped you off here because you were nearby. There was nothing you could do to stop him. But he ended up having to leave in the middle of it. Yet, the check up had gone over well. Your heart hadn’t gotten any worse but it wasn’t getting any better either. Which was good news. But it was just being here that dampened your mood immensely. Often times it wasn’t good news you heard while you were here. The smell of urine and antiseptic made your nose crinkle up in disgust. All you wanted to do was get out of here.

Sans had to leave during the check up and now you were just waiting for him to pick you up. You had already texted him the results. This waiting was making you antsy. Your leg bobbed up and down as something to do. Where was he? You had sent that text over 45 minutes ago. It’s not like he couldn’t just teleport into the lobby. He knew where you were. Your eyes continued to scan the busy crowd of people and monsters. The feeling of desperation growing inside you. You wanted out of here. There was no way that you wanted to stay at the hospital nay longer than you had too.

With the stifling atmosphere starting to get to you, you stood up and walked out the doors in to the parking lot. Almost every parking space had a car in it. You headed over to a nearby bench, sitting down with a shaky sigh. The sky was covered in a gray cloudy overcast. A gentle breeze whipped about your form. You put your face into your hands. Making sure to take deep breaths before you go into a full on panic attack. Seriously, where was the skeleton at? You just wanted to leave!

Several cries of surprise and delight had you peeking through your fingers toward the commotion. A long black limo had pulled into the drop off docking port. Right in front of your bench. The familiar black and pink robot stepping out of it with elegance and flourish. He ignored the awestruck stares of the nearby people. His sights only on you.

“Songbird! There you ar-... Oh my!” Mettaton stopped when he took in your rather hunched over form. The panicked look in your eyes not escaping his. “Darling...Whatever is the matter?” Without thinking, you ran over to the robot idol and wrapping your arms around him, while burying your face into his pink chest plate. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before wrapping his arms around you, gently rubbing small circles on your back. You remained like that until the once imminent panic attack was no longer creeping up on you. When you pulled away, Mettaton cocked his head at you with concern. “Songbird?”

“Can we go?” You sign to him while not looking at him. Your eyes, instead, were on the floor. “Can we, please, just get out of here?” 

“Yes, of course, my dear.” He opens the door to the limo for you with none of his usual over exaggerated movements or drama. You, quickly, get seated inside, not wanting to be on the hospital’s premise a moment longer. The robot sliding into the spot next to you. “Are you alright?”

The sound of the engine in the limo helped to relax you. “I’ll be fine when we get out of here.... Why are you here anyway? I thought Sans was supposed to pick me up?”

“He ended up getting called away by Toriel. So he gave me a call to come and get you.” Mettaton leaned back against the seat, making sure to wrap a comforting arm around your shoulders. “Though I wish he would have called me sooner. I wouldn’t have taken so long. You shouldn’t have to do these things by yourself.” 

You allowed yourself to lean against Mettaton’s metallic form. He snapped his fingers and the limo began to move. The limo’s engine surged as it pulled away from the hospital. “Things happen. It wouldn’t be my first rodeo.” your hands signed with your anxiety going away the further you get from the hospital. 

“Still.” Mettaton said before heading up to the divider of the limo and saying something to the driver. Once he is done, he returns back to his position by your side. You return to gently leaning against him. Your head resting on his shoulder.

“Where are we going?”

“Someplace fun.” he gives you a sexy wink as he said it. His actions bringing a small smile to your face. You closed your eyes and allowed the ride to calm the rest of your nerves. Mettaton’s arm went back around your shoulders while he hummed a song to himself. The two of you stayed like that until the limo came to a stop. 

Rubbing your eyes, you looked out the window. Before you, was a large open area with trees lining the outskirts. An empty playground set into the center. Mettaton stepped out of the limo and opened the door for you again. “Why are we at a playground?” you asked after hopping out.

“I told you we were going someplace fun, darling~” He takes your hand leading you over to the jungle gym that had a slide attached to the top. With a grace you wouldn’t expect of a monster in neon pink high heeled boots, he starts to climb towards the top. Beckoning you to follow him.

How long has it been since you played on a playground? Often times you had to sit on the sidelines when you were at school. Eh. Why not? You clamber after Mettaton with much less elegant movements. He waits for you at the top, positioning himself on the slide. Once you reach him, you settle yourself down in the spot in front of him. With a loud whoop, Mettaton kicks off and you both slide down. A bubbly happiness starting to form in the pit of your stomach. You hop up the moment you are both on the ground and gestured towards the swings. “Bet I can beat ya to the swingset!”

Giving him a mischievous grin, you race Mettaton to the swings, making sure to snatch up the closest one. He leaned against the bar nearby a smirk on his face. “That’s not fair, songbird. You had a head start.”

“But you have robot power and longer legs than me.” you signed after kicking off on the swing so you were going back and forth. “You could have easily won if you really wanted too.”

He gave you a playful shrug. “Maybe. Maybe I wanted to lose.”

You stuck your tongue out at him as you got even higher on the swing. “Why would you want to lose?”

“Cuz then I can do this.” He walked around to your back and caught you mid swing. Holding you to him, he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck. His lips peppering your neck with kisses. A bright blush flushed across your cheeks while you playfully squirmed against him. Eventually he stopped to nuzzle his cheek against yours. “Darling, your so cute.”

“Mettaton, Lemme go.” you signed to him as he chuckled at your response.

“Now why would I do that?” He kissed the spot right above your when something hit him on his brow. “What’s this?” With ease, Mettaton shifted your weight to one arm as he used his free and to investigate the liquid that trailed down his face. You looked up at the dark gray sky. A drop of water hitting you right on the nose. Several more hit your face soon after as the rain started to pick up.

Instinctively, you tried to shield the robot from the water’s onslaught. But with being out in the open there wasn’t much you could do. “We should probably head back to the limo.”

“That we probably should.” He ran over to the limo while carrying you. Making sure to open the door for you, once again. You ran your fingers through your wet hair with a frown. Rain would ruin your fun after everything that has happened today. Your body slumped against the back seat of the limo, as Mettaton watched you out of the corner of his eye while he wrung out his hair. “Oh sweetheart. Don’t let this rain _dampen_ your mood. We’ll just go have fun somewhere else.”

“Did you just say a pun?” Your eyes shining brightly with pride. Mettaton momentarily freezing as he realized what he had just said.

“Well.... What can I say? You make it infectious...” He said while shaking his head in defeat. “You know... There’s one place that I do need to go today... Driver you know where to go!”

The limo set into motion towards the destination that Mettaton asked for. You cock your head at the robot with mild curiosity. “Where are we going now?” your hands signed as your bad mood started to go away again.

“You’ll see, darling... It is of the utmost importance!” Mettaton struck a dramatic pose at the end while a stray drop of rain trailed down his cheek. You reached up and wiped it away. What could be of ‘the utmost importance’? As you tried to figure out what Mettaton was trying to do, the ride to your next destination soon ended.

You stepped out of the limo onto the wet sidewalk. A familiar red sign glowing at you from the building in front of you. “Why are we at Grillbys?”

Mettaton took your hand and guided you through the door to the establishment, using his body to shield you from the light drizzle. “We are here to answer an age old question.”

“What age old question is that?” you asked him as he led you over to the bar so you could take a seat. He then left you a moment to call the fire elemental over. Once he was done attending to some other patrons, Grillby headed over towards you. He bowed his head in greeting while handing you a glass of water.

“Alright, Grillby. We are, finally, going to end this once and for all.” The robot idol moved to stand next to Grillby next to your stool. The fire elemental crackled in response and you just looked at the two confused. What was going to end once and for all? Mettaton turns to you with a showstopping grin. “Darling, you are going to be the final judge.”

“Judge for what, exactly?” you almost didn’t want to ask. Starting to take a sip of water after asking your question.

“Oh it’s rather simple, dearie. Just.... Who is hotter? Me or Grillby?” Mettaton scratched his chin in thought. “Every time we’ve asked it’s been me or him but no definitive answer.”

You choked on the water you had just tried to ingest. Spraying the floor as you sputtered into your sleeve. Is he serious? Is he SERIOUS? THIS is what was ‘of the utmost importance’?! Silent laughter wracked your entire being as tears started to peek in your eyes. You couldn’t breathe. Mettaton was going to kill you with a who is hotter question.

They waited patiently for you to come down from your laughter high. Mettaton giving you a smirk the entire time. You took a deep breath into your lungs before being able to face the two monsters. “ Okay... You really want to know my answer?”

“Well, of course, darling~! Why else would I bring you all the way out here?” Mettaton said while Grillby crackled in what appeared to be agreement. “So who is hotter?”

“Grillby.” You sign to them without any hesitation.

“WHAAAT?!” Mettaton shrieked in dismay making everyone in the restaurant look in your direction. Grillby crackled loudly alongside your silent laughter. The robot idol’s reaction bringing more tears to your eyes. He gently grabbed you by the shoulders and brought his face close to yours. “Why, songbird? Why him and not the _fabulous_ me?”

“Grillby is, literally, made of fire! Of course, he would be hotter than you.” you tell him with an innocent look on your face.

Mettaton released your laughing form to straighten up and rub his temple. “ Oh my go-.... Darling, No. You have misunderstood the question.”

“You asked who was hotter. Technically, since Grillby is made of fire, he is hotter than you.” Mettaton squirmed as your hands signed the words. Silent giggles still shaking your shoulders. “What did I misunderstand?”

“Sweetheart, you are killing me.” The robot sat in the stool next to you and continued to rub his temple. You continued to laugh as he looked at you with a smile. “Alright. Shall I take you home now?”

You gave him a nod while hopping off your stool. Mettaton follows suit. He leads the way out to the limo after saying goodbye to Grillby. Making sure to whisper a “This one doesn’t count.” to the fire elemental when he thought you were out of ear shot. You slid into your spot in the back seat of the limo as Mettaton pulled the door closed.

The limo pulled away from the famous monster restaurant and headed towards your house. You laid your head against his chest plate, listening to the whir of gadgets that worked within. Mettaton hummed softly to himself for a bit. “I’m glad you are finally smiling. Songbird....Mind if I ask what was the matter? Surely the results hadn’t been that bad.”

Leaning back up, you turn your head away from him. Shaking your head as you did. Of course he would be curious as to why you almost had a panic attack at the hospital. It was only natural. He was just kind enough not to pressure you on the spot and instead had spent the last couple of hours trying to cheer you up. “The results were fine... It’s just...” You began to sign but stopped. How were you supposed to explain why you don’t like the hospital to someone who didn’t have to go so much? As you grappled with how to explain it, Mettaton sat next to you waiting patiently. “I.... I hate being there... So many times I’ve been forced to go or die....” You allowed your statement to trail off and opted to look at the floor with solemn eyes.

Mettaton gently lifted your head so that you were looking at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear as he did. “I understand, darling. Just remember that you are here now and remember this....” He leaned in and placed his lips softly against yours. Letting them linger for several moments. He then trailed his lips up to your ear and whispered the words that made your heart skip a beat. 

“I love you.”


	13. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing majorly changed when I updated. Just realized I never properly got to proofread this one. So I just fixed a couple of things.

A bitter cold wind whipped about you. Making you hug yourself to gain any attempt at warmth. Mettaton stood a little bit downwind from you but the cold didn’t seem to bother him in the least. So why were you in the middle of a winter wasteland in the middle of a small snow storm? The camera men and other tech individuals had arrived a couple days ago and Mettaton couldn’t wait to get started on shooting. So here you were. Shivering in the costume that he had got you, waiting for the camera men to give you your cue. 

Everyone has been out here shooting all day. It was starting to get late and they were trying to work in one last scene. Weather permitting. The winds have slowly gotten worse as the day went on. You were pretty sure that this was the last scene then everyone was going to pack up and head back to the hotel. Your job was simple. All you had to do was walk against the wind in the background while Mettaton lip synced the lyrics. It was easy enough but why did you have to be standing there in the cold as they fixed something with the cameras?

You heard the director shout your cue and you began walking to your right against the wind. Your hair and clothes flew behind you with the wind. You kept your face calm and collected despite the cold. There was no way you were going to ruin the shot because you were cold. Then you would have to do it again from the beginning. That’s not something you wanted to do. So you kept going until the director yelled cut. You stopped in your tracks and watched as Mettaton walked over to the camera to see how it turned out.

There was no point in you following him over there if you were going to have to do the scene again. So you waited until Mettaton gave you a thumbs up from where he was. “Alright, Darlings~! That’s a wrap!” His voice somehow carrying over the loud winds. The sun dipping below the earth.

Immediately, the camera crew began packing up their things into one of the vans that were parked a little bit away. Not having to be told twice, you run from your spot in the snow into the big trailer that was waiting for you. It was there for anyone to get a reprieve from the cold and it was going to stay where it was. Since you were going to be coming back here tomorrow there was no point in driving the big thing back with everyone else. The door to the trailer slammed closed behind you. A relieved sigh escaping your lips as you felt the warmth start to melt away the cold in your body. 

“How’d it go, kiddo?” The voice came from a certain skeleton who was lounging on the couch not to far away from you with one of his eye sockets open and the other closed.

Your hands rubbed your arms as you shivered. Only breaking away to give Sans a response. “It went well but, good god, is it cold!”

The skeleton chuckled, closing his eye socket. “You should go stand in the corner.”

“Why?”

“Because a corner is always _90 degrees_.”

You giggled at his pun while moving to sit on the empty spot next to him on the couch. “Way to _break the ice_ , Sans.”

“Well, I am a pretty _cool_ guy. Just trying to help you _chill out_.” Sans was now sitting up next to you. Your conversation gaining his full attention.

“Hey, being cold is _snow_ joke, Sans!” You signed to him pretending to be offended at his words. “I just wanted to have an _ice_ conversation!”

Sans chuckled at your comeback. “Whoa there, kiddo. Don’t have a _meltdown_.”

“Oh, darlings..... Maybe I should have stayed out in the cold.”

Both you and Sans looked towards the source of the metallic voice. Mettaton stood in the doorway of the trailer. Brushing snow out of his black locks and off his shoulder plates. A playful, evil grin graced your features.

“I’m sorry, Mettaton. We didn’t mean to give you the _cold shoulder_!” Your hands signed just as the pun came to your mind.

Sans laughed alongside you. “ _ICE_ uppose we could tone it down a bit.”

Mettaton walked over to where the two of you were and sat in a chair opposite the couch. “Darlings, please....”

“ Okay, okay! We’ll _snow_ down on the puns.” You brought your hands up in surrender after signing that one last pun. Earning a dramatic groan from the robot.

The stout skeleton also held his hands up in surrender to the robot.“Okay Mettaton. We’re done. So no more with the cold disposition.”

The robot put his face into the palm of his hands while the two of your rolled around on the couch from your horrible jokes. Once you settled down, you reached over and gently patted one of his shoulder pads. Most of the cold that you had previously felt was gone. “So how’s it going out there, Mettaton?”

Glad for the change in topic, Mettaton turned his attention back to you. “It’s going surprisingly well. If this snowstorm let’s up tomorrow, we can get most of the outside scenes done.”

You slumped against into the couch relieved. “Thank God! I can’t wait for the inside ones.”

He chuckled at your reaction. “That’s why I planned on getting these out of the way first. Speaking of, we are currently the only ones left on set. The crew packed up as fast as they could.”

“Yeah, we should probably get going. That snow storm is picking up rather quickly.” Sans said as he peeked through the curtains at the frozen terrain.

“I know. It wasn’t supposed to be this bad.” Mettaton stood back up and headed back to the door. “If I had known, we wouldn't have stayed out nearly this long.” He headed out with you two following suit. Making sure to turn everything off before locking the door to the trailer. The three of you ran to the only van that was left. It’s engine idling as the driver waited patiently for the three of you to get in. Mettaton took shot gun while Sans and you sat in the back seats. The driver put the van into drive and started slowly down the snowy road. 

As you all continued on the icy road, the snow storm commenced to get worse. All that you could see in front of you was a wall of white. Fear started to prickle up your spine. All this snow was insane. How could the driver even see the road? The sun had long since set below the horizon and the headlights weren’t doing much for sight. Harsh winds ran around the vehicle. Their awful sounds not helping the growing fear within you. It’ll be okay. The driver is used to driving in weather like this. He’ll get you all back to the hotel safely. You brought your hands up to your mouth to quell the sound of your breathing as you started to hyperventilate. Everyone else had much bigger things to worry about than you.

Suddenly, the van lurched as the tires struck a slick patch of ice, causing the vehicle to spin out. The g-force had you thrust against the door. Your head hitting the window hard. You silently screamed in fear as your heart went into overdrive. The van continued to spin around while the driver desperately tried to regain control of the vehicle to no avail.

This was it. You were going to die in a car crash, in a snowstorm. Tears started streaming down your cheeks from the fear and pain. Crumpling into your seat as your heart pounded hard in your chest. Making it even harder to breath than it already was. You barely could make out Sans gripping the seat tightly next to you. His left eye lit up. Mettaton was holding on to the dash board trying to offer advice to the already concentrating driver. 

“BRACE YOURSELVES, EVERYONE!” the driver yelled at the top of his lungs.

As soon as he said it, the van jumped the ditch and ran straight into a tree. The front end crumpling under the impact like aluminum foil. All four of you were launched forward from the sheer force. You thrust your hands out to protect yourself and prevented hitting the driver’s seat, in front of you, face first. The air bags in the front deploying with loud popping bangs.

A sharp pain shot up your right wrist but you only had a few moments to register it. The thing was probably broken. You clutched at your heart desperately. It’s fast pace making pain explode with each beat. Your breathing was shallow and quick as you attempted to calm down your heart. Full blown silent sobs now wracking your entire being.

“Is everyone alright?” Mettaton said, popping the airbag that had him pinned in his seat. 

“All good here.” Sans spoke up from your right. He was leaning over the passenger seat in an attempt to look at the driver. “What about him?”

You felt the seat in front of you shake a bit, as Mettaton tried to rouse the driver. When he didn’t wake up, Mettaton took his pulse and let out a sigh of relief. “There is some blood on his forehead. So he may have a concussion but he’s alive.” The robot tried to open his door but it refused to budge. “I can’t open my door.”

The stout skeleton tried opening his to no avail. “I can’t open mine either. Hey kiddo, can you open you- Oh shit.” The moment he had his eye sockets on you, Sans was by your side. He pulled you into his arms and gently started rubbing your back. “Kiddo, it’s going to be okay. Everyone is alright. No one is hurt.”

“What? What’s wrong with, songbird?” Mettaton had maneuvered so he could look into the back seat. His normal suave voice showing his concern and worry.

Sans words fell deaf on your ears. You were hunched over with your hands pressed against your heart. The pain getting excruciating as it refused to slow down. Sans ignored the robot idol. Still attempting to console you. Meanwhile Mettaton kept asking what he should do and what was wrong. After several minutes of trying to no avail, Sans whirled around on Mettaton. His left eye ablaze with anger and worry.

“IT’S HER HEART!” He growled out before turning his attention back to you.

Mettaton seemed to freeze when he said it. “What do you mean... Her heart?”

“She has a terribly weak heart. If she isn’t careful she can have an attack....” Sans voice dropped as the realization and fear crept up on him. “If we can’t get her heart to calm down. She could die.”

“Then teleport her out of here!” Mettaton’s voice shaking as he spoke.

“I can’t!” Sans voice cracked as he rocked your trembling form back and forth.

“Well, Why the hell not?” the robot demanded desperately.

“The shock could push her heart over the edge! She might not even make it to the hotel!” Sans reaches over and tugs on your door only for it to remain where it was. “Fuck. All the doors are blocked.”

“Sans. SANS.” The skeleton looked at Mettaton as blue tears started to appear in his eye sockets. The robot’s face no longer had any fear or confusion on it like earlier. “Sans... Take the driver and teleport back to the hotel.”

He shook his head. “What and just leave her here by herself? No way in fucking he-”

“That’s not what I said.” Mettaton’s voice dropped to a dangerously low tone cutting off the emotionally compromised skeleton. “Take the driver to the hotel. You know where we are. I’ll stay with, Songbird while you get help.”

Sans eye sockets grew wide. He then looked at you. Your trembling and silent whimpers of pain getting worse as the seconds ticked by. Wiping the blue tears from his eyes, Sans regained his composure. He looked at Mettaton with a new resolve. “You won’t leave her side?”

“I promise.”

Mettaton backed up into his seat so that Sans could reach into the driver’s side and pick up the poor unconscious man. “Take care of her. I’ll be back soon.” At that the skeleton disappeared along with the driver. Just leaving Mettaton and yourself among the crumpled heap of the van. The robot maneuvers himself over the center console. Making his way into the backseat with you. 

With a great gentleness, Mettaton picked up your trembling form. Holding you against his chest. He ran his free hand through your hair comfortingly as he whispered words or reassurance and comfort into your ear. “Shhhh Darling.... It’s okay... Just concentrate on your breathing.”

After a few minutes of the comforting words not having any effect, the robot looked at you solemnly. The pain ebbed throughout your body as it got harder to breathe. Darkness started to pop up on the edges of your vision. The fear within you rising. If you passed out during this attack would you even wake up? This couldn’t happen now. You were so close to attaining your dreams! Mettaton’s metallic body was warm. The fans in his chest whirring like normal.

You felt the robot adjust your body gently. He hummed in your ear before the hum turned into words. 

“ _Little Song bird  
Where have you gone?  
Is there anything wrong?_”

His voice was low and gentle. But you heard the words clear as day through the pain. The words of the song that you had entered several months earlier. A certain song that helped push your life to where you are now.

“ _My little song bird  
Please come back to me!  
I want to be everything you need._”

He ended the first chorus with a gentle nuzzle of his cheek against your ear. You felt a warm wet substance be left behind. Somehow you managed to turn your head to look up at him. Tears of worry were trailing down the robot’s synthetic cheeks.

“ _I’m all alone  
Trapped underground, full of dark spaces  
But here I am now, in front of thousands of faces_”

You started to focus on his words as he sang your song into your ear. Trying to listen to his soft voice. The darkness still growing slowly in your vision.

“ _Don’t Stop! I’ve gotta  
explore the surface.  
For my songbird and my own purpose._”

“ _I’m center stage with my face shown...  
But I can’t do this on my own._”

Mettaton’s voice cracked a bit on that last line. The fear he had for your well being showing through while he continued to sing. 

“ _This place is far from underground  
With the darkness and small spaces.  
Up on stage I’m crowned  
And I’ve been thousands of places._”

“ _Songbird, This is your choice.  
Please allow me to be your voice._”

Each line was sung with such sincerity and with a slight urgency. As if with this song he was willing you to get better. 

“ _Darling, please come back  
Because you are all that I need.  
You can believe me,_”

“ _My little song bird,  
To protect your fragile heart.  
My dear, I’m here!  
Even when it all goes dark!_”

After listening to the lines that he had just sung, he paused for a moment. His face showing the fear and desperation that the lyrics he had just sung portrayed. He let the second chorus fade before starting the next part in a somewhat shaky voice.

“ _You and me, our souls  
Are intertwined.  
Your fate has crossed over mine,  
As if built by a grand design!_”

Even though he had tried to hide it, somehow you had managed to notice the slight blush that had crept on his features when he sang those lyrics. His singing had begun to work. Your breathing was starting to get a bit more regular much to your relief. So you closed your eyes to focus more on his soft voice.

“ _The underground is in my past  
Now darling I need to find you fast.  
When your alone is when I fear,  
Because I need to have you here!_”

“ _I need to see that fragile heart.  
Protecting is my new purpose,  
So don’t let us stay a part,  
You being gone is making me nervous._”

Once again, he paused. Taking a moment to regain his resolve and hide the concern that he had for you.

“ _I will do it for you.  
I will do it for the surface.  
Cuz it’s all true,  
You are both my new purpose._”

“ _Darling, please don’t be all alone.  
You mean more to me than you could ever have known._”

Not once did his voice shake this time. Instead it was steady and confident. Much like the normal voice that he used. Just without the sass. Your heart started to slow in it’s painful pace. But you kept focusing on his melodic words.

“ _Little Song bird  
Where have you gone?  
Is there anything wrong?_”

“ _My little song bird  
Please come back to me!  
I want to be everything you need._”

He sung the first chorus again with more emotion this time than he had when he sung it the first time. Your breathing had become slow and focused. Combining your breathing while focusing on his voice, your heart started to calm down at a much faster pace. You opened your eyes. The darkness had grown even more since you closed them a few moments before. At this rate you were going to pass out.

“ _Darling, please come back  
Because you are all that I need.  
You can believe me,_”

“ _My little song bird,  
To protect your fragile heart.  
My dear, I’m here!  
Even when it all goes dark!_”

“ _My little songbird...._ ”

The song ended there and Mettaton held the note for an extended period before letting it fade into the snowy night. You looked up at him. His facial features still showing the fear and concern on them. Weakly, you snuggled close into his chest. Making sure to give him a small reassuring smile.

“Thank you, Mettaton.... That was beautiful.” your hands signed slowly. You winced whenever you had to move your right wrist. They felt heavy just like the rest of your body after having such a sever attack.

“Not as beautiful as you, darling.” he gave you a sexy wink that had you silently giggle for a second.

Your eyes drooped as the darkness seemed to take up most of your vision. “Mettaton.... Could you sing it again?”

“You know me, songbird.” He began. The relief evident on his face. “I can never say no to an encore.”

At that, Mettaton began to sing your song again from the top. Your eyes drifted close to his words. The darkness taking you once again but the fear from earlier was gone. Your heart under the protection of a certain robot.


	14. Chapter 12

The ebbing cold that pricked at your fingertips had your eyes fluttering open. Shivering a bit, you looked around in an attempt to figure out where you were. It was still dark and your body felt heavy from the strong attack from earlier. You were no longer in the back seat of the van but in the very back part that had several cameras and other media equipment crammed into the small space. A rather scratchy blanket was wrapped around your lightly shivering form. How had you gotten back here? When had you moved? What time is it? The sound of strong winds outside confirmed that the snowstorm was still doing it’s thing. That wasn’t all you heard. There was also.... Humming? 

You turned your head in the direction of the melodic sound. Mettaton had his arms holding you close to his chest. The fans under the pink chest plate whirring at a much faster rate than normal. He was looking absently out the van window on the other side humming something to himself. You recognized the tune but couldn’t place what it was. What was he humming? After a couple minutes of thinking, it hits you. He was humming your song! Still?! You vaguely remember asking him to sing it again before passing out but he was still doing it? Why?

Turning your body a little bit, you wiggled your arm out from under the blanket, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. The cold air of the van hitting your warm arm, making you shiver even more.

“Cold, sweetheart?”

The humming abruptly stopped when Mettaton noticed your movement. He readjusted how he held you so that you were sitting up more instead of laying in his arms. Your head gently laying on his chest plate that was.... Warm? How? Mettaton was made of metal. Only the places you had been, previously, laying should be warm. Choosing to ignore those questions, you move towards the heat. Nodding your head as you do. The robot chuckling at your reaction.

“What time is it?” You manage to sign to him after freeing your other hand from the blanket.

Mettaton laid his head back against the van wall behind him. Closing his eyes in thought. “I would have to say it’s 7 am. At least that’s what the internal clock that Alphys installed says.”

“You have an internal clock?”

“Yep and it changes automatically depending on where in the world I am.” He gave you a playful wink before looking back out the van window. “The winds aren’t nearly as bad as earlier. That awful snowstorm seems to be finally letting up.”

Readjusting the blanket so that it covered as much of your body as it could with your hands still out, you noticed a slight sluggish hint in Mettaton’s voice. “Are you okay? Were you hurt in the crash?”

“This _fabulous_ body with a scratch? I don’t think so, darling!” A long yawn escaped him just as he finished his sentence. “Just a little tired from staying up all night.”

He didn’t shut down at all? Was his battery okay? You were there when he got his new one but would it last with him being online for 24+ hours? Wait... Why did he stay up all night? Your hands asked him that last question with worry furrowing your brow.

“Well....Songbird. To be honest, that heart attack rather scared me. I wanted to keep watch to make sure nothing happened while you slept....” He trailed off for a moment before looking away. “Also the engine is shot due to hitting the tree, so I’ve been heating my core up to keep you warm throughout the night.”

So that’s why the fans were going faster than normal. You looked at his chest plate to see if the light was flashing like it had before but it wasn’t. Then again, Alphys could have uninstalled it with the update. You didn’t know what she did. “So is your battery low from using all that extra energy to keep me warm?”

“Yes, honey. But that’s not why I’m tired.” You gave him a confused look as he said this. Why wouldn’t he be tired if his battery was low? He was a robot wasn’t he? Mettaton let out an amused chuckle at the blatantly confused expression on your face. “Oh my, darling! You think that because my battery is low I would be tired? No no no!”

“Then why are you tired, Mettaton?” your hands picked up speed as the heaviness started to fade away and your curiosity peeked.

A smile spread across his features. “I’m more than just a robot, dearie! You mean you haven’t figured it out yet? Even after meeting my cousin, Blooky?”

Napstablook was Mettaton’s cousin? Since when? In the few conversations that you have had with the ghost, that was something that never came up. You shook you head at him even more confused. “It never came up.... How are you two relat-....” Your eyes grew wide as the realization hit you. Mettaton wasn’t a robot. He was a ghost monster INSIDE a robot! “You’re a ghost?! How did...? When did..?” Your hands signed the incomplete questions in your head as they came to you while pausing a few times to gesture at his body making Mettaton laugh.

“Well, I’ve always been a ghost. I’m not going to bore you with the details on how ghost monsters are born but this all happened when I met Alphys.” His eyes seemed to go off into the distant memory as he trailed off.

“Oh? Mind telling me the origins of the famous Mettaton?” You kind of wanted to know how ghost monsters were born but you really wanted to know how meeting Alphys brought all of this on.

“Alright, sweetheart. It all started on a snail farm. I see that look on your face, darling. Yes. A snail farm.” He smirked at the skeptical look you had given him the moment he had said the words ‘snail farm’. “It was me, Blooky, and 2 others. The snail farm was the family business but I always wanted more.”

“One day the other two went on to get corporeal bodies in training dummies. Leaving just Blooky and I to take care of the snail farm. Blooky asked if I was going to leave too. I told him no. Mainly because there wouldn’t be a body that I would like anyway. But I always wanted to be on stage. I wanted to entertain everyone in the underground! That was impossible for me, who was currently a ghost.” Mettaton paused for a moment to readjust how he was sitting. “But that didn’t stop me from dreaming. One day I decided to host a humans fan club and made a page for it on the Undernet. That was the internet of the underground. I loved humans. Their fabulousness. Their idols! I so longed to be up there with them...”

“So I went about setting up the get together at my house. Expecting a bunch of monsters to show up.... But that didn’t happen. Only one person showed up.... Alphys. She was rather shy about it too. At first, she didn’t say anything at all!” He chuckled at the memory. “Yet, when I started talking about how great humans were she went off! I couldn’t get her to shut up, once that was unleashed. To be honest, I wasn’t sure of her. But despite knowing she was kind of a dork I wanted to see her again and I did.”

“We visited several times after that. I told her everything. My hopes. My dreams. Why they would never come to be.... Alphys was my first friend that wasn’t a family member. I love her dearly. Then one day she called me over to her lab saying she had something to show me.” His eyes were lit up with excitement as he remembered the feelings of the memory. “I didn’t know what she was going to show me but I knew it was going to be interesting. She always had interesting things to show me. When I got to the lab she led me into a separate room. There were two robots in it. One that was rectangular and rolled around on a wheel. The other was the torso of this...” He stopped to gesture down his body with a sexy wink.

“There were two robots? What happened to the other one?” Your hands signed quickly. You were entirely enthralled with the story.

Mettaton put his hand on yours to stop your signing. “Hang on I’m getting to it, sweetie. Now. This body was incomplete but the rectangle one was all ready to go. She designed it to be an entertainment robot. Just like I always wanted to be.... Alphys had made a corporeal body for me without me ever asking her too. The rectangle body would just be a temporary form until the new one was integrated into it. So I can switch between the two at will. Without her making me that body, there wouldn’t be a Mettaton. I would be just working the snail farm still.”

Tears started to form in your eyes. He knew. Mettaton knew what it felt like to be trapped by the physical limitations of your body. If Alphys hadn’t given him that chance, he wouldn’t be here. Just like if Mettaton hadn’t given you a chance, you wouldn’t be where you were. Who would have thought that the famous monster had struggled with something that you struggle with everyday? “That’s amazing...” you signed to him as a few teardrops ran down your cheek.

Mettaton wiped the tears from your eyes. A look of concern on his face. “Sweetheart, Are you alright?”

“Yes! I’m fine! So what was it like being the only star in the underground?” You changed the subject back to Mettaton. Despite working with him for a decent amount of time, you didn’t really know anything about the robot. He knew more about you than you did about him!

The concerned look turned into a happy one at your reassurance. Immediately, answering your question. “Oh, it was wonderful! Everyone adored me. They supported almost everything that I did. From the horrible food to my 27 odd movies but in doing so I let the fame get to my head. I abandoned Blooky. I even ignored Alphys... unless I came in for an upgrade or for her to work on this form... If Frisk hadn’t knocked my ego down a notch I never would have realized at how horrible of a person and friend I was being...”

You looked down at your hands somberly. Though you have never ignored a friend, you have been on the receiving end. You have been for a long time. Thankfully, Mettaton had figured it out before it was to late. “It can happen to the best of us. Hundreds of human idols have done the same thing but have never realized it.”

“So I’ve seen. Several of the actors and musicians I have worked with seemed to walk the same path I once did. Once that fight with Frisk was over and I was back online, I went back to see Blooky. When were freed, I brought Blooky and Shyren into my show. I was no longer leaving them behind. Though Shyren finally gained her confidence and now is doing her own thing. We still work closely together.” Mettaton laid his head back against the van wall again. “Getting beat by Frisk was the second best thing to ever happen to me...”

“Everyone talks so highly of Frisk. Hopefully, I’ll get to see the monster ambassador someday.” You signed with a shy smile. 

“Oh you will. You hang out with so many of their friends that it’ll happen sooner than you think.” Mettaton shot you a reassuring smile as he said this. His eyes wandered back over to the window. “Finally. It’s about time that snowstorm went away.”

Turning your head, you followed his gaze and sure enough the wall of white that had enveloped the van was gone. The high winds disappearing with it. You could now see the woods beyond the metal walls. Relief filling the two of you. “So have you heard from Sans?”

Mettaton shook his head. “No and to be honest I doubt he has had a chance to get to us until now. He won’t be here until he drags help back with him.” Another yawn escaped his synthetic lips. “At this rate I won’t be able to stay awake for much longer.”

“Do you mind if I ask you some more questions?” you asked, hoping the use of his brain would stave off sleep for him a little bit longer. It’s not like him being asleep would be a bad thing. You just weren’t sure when you were going to have another chance to do this.

“Ask away, beautiful.”

“Okay! So how does possessing a body work?”

The monster thought about it for a moment. “Well... In normal cases, like my two cousins, One would simply meld their form into whatever they want as their body and it just becomes a part of them. That way, if you get sick of it, you can always leave.”

“Have you possessed anything other than this body?”

“Nope,” Mettaton flicked a few stray black locks from his one visible eye. “and I couldn’t possess another one even if I wanted too.”

You cocked your head at him confused. “But you just said-”

“I said ‘in normal cases’ that is what happens. Mine is not normal in anyway.” At this he gave you a playful smoldering look. “Since when am I ever ‘normal’, darling?”

Silently giggling, you push him away a little bit. “Okay. How so?”

He mockingly moped at your denial. “Well.... In order for me to function it fully, It had to become truly a part of me. At all times. So to skip all the complicated sciencey terms that I know nothing about, she extracted my soul from my ghost form and put it into the robot.” At this, he maneuvered you away from his body so there was a gap between the two of you. “See that encased heart floating in my belt?”

“Yes.” You signed to him after looking down to where he instructed.

“That’s my SOUL.”

Your eyes grew wide. Mettaton had his SOUL on display for everyone to see? “Wait! I thought to have your SOUL out outside of battle was something for more intimate reasons?”

“It is. But I don’t want people to think I have something to hide. So I show it all. This is all I am. This is WHO I am and if they don’t like me then so be it.” He said this rather confidently with a shrug.

“Soooooo..... You’re an exhibitionist?”

Mettaton gave you such an incredulous look that you couldn’t help but start silently laughing. “Darling, PLEASE! You know that’s not what I meant.”

“This gives those inside look interviews, I’ve seen with you, a whole new perspective.” You managed to sign during your laughing fit.

“ Oh, Songbird. Just no.” Mettaton hid his lightly blushing face in his hand. “Please tell me that is not the only thing you have gotten out of this conversation.”

“Sorry, sorry! I couldn’t help it!” You smiled up at him after you had calmed down to light giggling. “But in all seriousness, I envy you.”

The robot monster removed his hand from his face and cocked his eyebrow at you. “Normally I would say something along the lines of ‘It’s only natural too, beautiful.’ but I have to ask... Why?”

“Hm... How do I put this?” You closed your eyes and thought for a moment on how to word this correctly. “It’s just... Despite all of life’s challenges that are thrown at you.... Despite all of the haters and critics.... You don’t let any of it get to you. Instead you throw your whole self at it all confidently and proudly. I wish I had even a small fraction of the confidence you have in yourself and in knowing who you are.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you will! I had to figure all that stuff out and it wasn’t until I got certain people in my life that I was able to do it.” He brought you back to his warm chest making sure to give your shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Papyrus, Sans, BP, Alphys, Undyne,.... And Me... We’ve all got your back in case you stumble while on that journ- Oh my!” You wrapped your arms around the robot as best you could. Hugging him tightly.

Unbeknownst to you, Mettaton’s eyes softened. He returned your hug with a gentle smile gracing his face. “It’ll all be okay, songbird. I promise.”

“I brought these coats thinking you two would be cold but it looks pretty hot in here already.”

The both of you quickly pulled away to look in the direction of the deep voice. Sans was looking at the two of you from the backseat. A coat in each hand and a smug smile on his face. You wiggled out of Mettaton’s arms, and the blanket, to crawl over to the stout skeleton, pulling him into a hug.

Mettaton crawled up behind you as you released Sans “Hello, darling! I was wondering when you were going to pop in.”

“Well, there was _snow_ -thing I could do until now.” Sans handed you a coat then patted your head while letting out a relieved sigh. “Heya, kid. You look a lot _ice_ -r than you did earlier.”

You silently giggled at the puns while you put on the warm coat and with Mettaton groaning behind you. “Are you going to teleport us back to the hotel, Sans?” You signed to him once you were all snug in the coat. 

Sans shook his head while Mettaton put on the other coat. “Nope. I’m not riskin you having another attack.”

“Then what are you going to...” you trailed off when you heard several voices and loud crunching sounds outside of the van.

“I brought along some _cool_ friends.” Sans said with a wink.

Just then, huge metal jaws cut deep into the backdoor of the van, cutting through the metal like butter. With a loud bang, the doors were pulled off and the early morning sun filtered in, making your eyes squint. You felt metal arms pick you up and hold you out to a couple of the firemen waiting just outside. They tried speaking to you but it was in German so you couldn’t respond. But it sounded comforting. They took you from Mettaton and carried you over to one of their trucks. The lights going full blast. Making the snow around you change colors.

Once safely inside the truck and one of the paramedics gave you a look over, you watched as Mettaton and Sans hop out of the destroyed van. Your eyes grew wide. The wreck was really bad. The entire front of the car was folded up into itself. You were lucky that no one got seriously injured.

The next hour was a blur. Mettaton and Sans had gotten into the same truck as you. Sans sitting to your right and Mettaton on the left. No one said anything while the truck carried you to your destination. Which you were praying wasn’t the hospital. It wasn’t long until you started to recognize some of your surroundings. The firemen weren’t taking you to a hospital. They were taking you back to the hotel. You let out a sigh of relief that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Look, kiddo. If I had my way, We would be heading to the hospital right now.” Sans tone was serious as he said it.

“Then why are we at the hotel instead?” You asked as the truck pulled into the front of the hotel.

Sans opened his door and hopped out.“Because the paramedics gave you a clean bill of health and you weren’t the only ones caught out in the storm. They probably need every able hand they can get right now.” He offered his hand to you.

You didn’t get a chance to take it. Mettaton lifted you up under your arms and placed you gently outside the truck with him following immediately after. The moment your feet hit the ground cries of relief filled the morning air. You looked up only to be caught into a spinning hug with Papyrus only to be pulled away into a more crushing one from Undyne.

“(Y/N)! IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT YOU ARE ALRIGHT!”

“You had us worried, PUNK!” At that Undyne released you onto your shaky legs, only for you to be hugged by Alphys.

“I-I’m so glad you are okay!”

The firetruck pulled away to save someone else. Hopefully, no one was hurt. Mettaton let the heartwarming reunion drag on for a moment before he clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “All right, Beauties! I think everyone would agree that songbird here needs to get some proper rest after that ordeal. So do I for that matter. Let’s get inside and out of this cold!”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. You were then ushered into the hotel and up to your room. Once again, everyone gave you a hug before you walked into your room. The bed seemed to call out to you. Not bothering to change out of any of the clothes, including your coat, you just jumped onto the bed and you were out.

When your eyes flickered open, you weren’t sure if you had actually opened them or not. Your hotel room was pitch black. Turning your head, you glanced at the clock that was on the nightstand.

**12:34 am**

Great. You had slept the whole entire day away. Then again that was to be expected. It had been a very long time since you had had such a strong attack and sleeping in the back of a van probably hadn’t helped. Silently groaning, you shamble out of bed to turn on the light. The bright light blinding you temporarily. Despite being wide awake, a yawn escapes you.

What were you going to do now? Everyone else was bound to be asleep at this point. It was then that you noticed that you were still in the costume from when you were on set the other day and in the coat. Not really caring but it was something to do, you began to change. Just as you put on the last piece of clothing, you realized that your hotel room wasn’t all that quiet. A familiar humming sound could be heard faintly from the outside balcony.

Grabbing the coat you had just taken off, you put it on again as you walk out onto the balcony to investigate. The sound was coming from the balcony to your right and was on the floor above yours. There in the other balcony was Mettaton. He was leaning over it with his elbow on the railing and his chin in his hand. It appeared as though he was in his own world. Your presence having not been noticed.

“ _My little song bird,_  
To protect your fragile heart.  
My dear, I’m here!  
Even when it all goes dark!”

He sang the lyrics to your song slowly as if he was serenading the starry night sky. You watched him without making any sounds. Not wanting to break his concentration. He continued singing unhindered. Just a personal moment between him and the night. It wasn’t until he trailed off the last note of the song did he look down and notice you out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh my! Songbird!” Your presence making him jump in surprise. “I’m sorry, darling. Did I wake you?”

You shook you head. “No...I woke up on my own.... Why were you singing my song?”

A blush spread across his face and he suavely looked away. “Well... It seemed to help you the first time so I figured I would sing it once I was charged up...”

“So you got some sleep?”

“Yes, I did, sweetheart. Ugh, I don’t like talking down to you like this.” With pure elegance and grace, Mettaton climbed over the railing of his balcony and down to yours. Making sure to land in one of his famous poses. He then joins you at the railing of your balcony. The two of you looking up at the night sky.

“Whatever happened to the driver?” You signed to the robot monster without looking at him.

“Sans got him help in time. He’ll be out of the hospital in a few days.”

“That’s wonderful.” A sigh of relief left you. That was a huge burden off your mind. “So did I miss anything while I was out?”

Mettaton shook his head. “Nothing more than the usual craziness. Everyone is just glad you are okay. But I think I’m speaking for everyone when I say that the first moment we get you are getting a check up.”

“But I’m fine!” It was true that the attack had been rather bad but you were fine now. You didn’t want to have to go to the hospital if you didn’t have too.

“I would rather be safe than sorry, (y/n).”

You looked him straight in the eye when he said your name. His was full of caring and concern. So much so that there was no way you could say no. “Okay....fine. But I’m not going by myself.”

The robot looked shocked at your words “Of course not! Why would you ever go to something like that by yourself?”

Now it was your turn to avoid his gaze. You looked at the ground below you not saying anything. Not talking about the friend and family that all had seemed to move on in their lives without you. Even when Mettaton asked again, you denied to say anything.

A stray wind blew around the two of you making you shiver. “I’m getting cold... I think I’ll head inside.” Just as you were about to turn and head back inside, Mettaton grabbed your shoulder.

“Hang on, my little songbird! Wait right here a moment!” He was already pulling himself back onto his balcony when he was sure you wouldn’t ditch him. You watched him disappear into his suite and then turned your attention to the beautiful starry sky above you. There was no way you could see a sky this beautiful where you lived. You were glad that you got a chance to see it this way. “Uh, beautiful?”

Tearing your eyes from the sky, you turned back to the robot. He stood a couple feet away from you with both hands behind his back. You cocked your head curiously at him only to earn yourself a big smile on his face. “What’s up?”

He brought out a decent sized, odd shaped, wrapped package out from behind him, holding it out to you. “Happy Birthday, my darling little Songbird.”

Your eyes grew wide as you took the gift from Mettaton. It was a little heavy too. You looked at the robot and then back to the present. “Mettaton.... You didn’t have to do this....” You signed while holding the gift to your chest so that your hands were free.

“To late. I already did. Now open it!”

You playfully rolled your eyes at him. He seemed more excited about the present than you were. Knowing that Mettaton wasn’t going to take no as an answer, you tear into the wrapping paper to reveal.... An instrument case. Your eyes quickly dart to Mettaton. His ecstatic smile pretty much confirming what the gift was. Just to be sure you sat on your knees on the balcony and set the case in front of you. With trembling hands, you opened the latches that held it closed.

Inside was a brand new violin.


	15. Chapter 13

You fell onto your couch with enough force to send the pillows flying into the air. Finally. You were done. After getting home a couple days ago from Germany, you finally finished unpacking everything from the trip. Clean clothes were put away, your dirty ones were already in the washer, toiletries were back in the correct spot.... The only thing left was the violin.

Your eyes wandered over to the instrument case that was propped up against the arm of the couch. A warm feeling forming in your heart, bringing a smile to your lips. The night you had got that violin from Mettaton, you had set to work getting it prepped to play. Using the rosin on the bow, checking the strings, then tuning it immediately after. You hadn’t gotten much sleep after that. Instead you had played whatever came to your mind for as long as you could, while Mettaton listened with his eyes closed on your bed. It wasn’t until Alphys came to get you up that you stopped playing the thing.

From then on the trip seemed to fly by. You were shooting most of the day and when you weren’t you were sight seeing with your friends. Even though you knew it was supposed to be work, it didn’t feel like it once! The whole thing felt like a month long vacation! It was only when you had to go to that hospital for a check up did you want to just come home. But even that hadn’t been that bad. Like Mettaton had said, you didn’t go alone. Everyone had come along to support you.

However, the doctor who looked you over didn’t have any of your old medical history. So he did what he could, which wasn’t really in depth, but he had said you would be fine. A welcome relief to you and all of your monster friends. Other than the snowstorm and the doctor visit, there wasn’t really any bad things that happened.

Undyne ended up winning a local arm wrestling competition with ease. Papyrus had gotten lost in the city one time and when you found him he was helping a lost child find his mother. The family was happily reunited without any issues. You would have thought Mettaton would have had some more risky adventures with him being a renowned idol but that wasn’t the case. He and Sans didn’t travel to far from your side after the accident. Which was nice but you didn’t need them as your personal heart guards 24/7.

There just was no need for it.

Pulling yourself out of your reminiscing, you look at the land line phone, on the table near your head . The bright red number 30 flashing on it. Thirty unheard messages. If they had the time to call then why didn’t they just text you? It’s not like your number had changed. With a groan you hit the replay button and the first message begins to play.

“Hi, baby! This is your Grandmother! Just calling to wish you a happy birthday! Call me bac- I-I mean contact me when-”

You cut the message off by hitting the next button. Making a mental note to text her back later.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, (Y/N)! I HOPE IT WAS AWESOME! Sorry I couldn’t stop by-”

With another press of the button, you cut off the message and the next began to play.

“Hey there! Sorry for the belated birthday wishes but I have a ques-”

Silently growling, you just hit the stop button and the messages stopped their replay. Your friends and family knew you had a cellphone. Why had they not texted it to you? It was easier that way because you could even respond back! Unlike a phone call. Yes, it is the thought that counts but common sense does as well. They had done this just so they could avoid an awkward conversation with you and it hurt. A lot.

Not wanting to give into the bad mood that was creeping up your back, you grab the violin case and snap it open. With practiced movements, you pick up the violin, sliding the bow across the strings with ease. As a pleasant melody hummed out, a contented sigh escaped you. There was nothing like venting your emotions through music. So that’s what you did. Playing your heart out on the vibrating strings. 

This violin was absolutely wonderful. The beautiful notes playing out with the masterful movements of your hands. It played beautifully and it fit in the crook of your shoulder perfectly. How Mettaton knew what size violin to get and let alone if it would be a good one, you had no idea. But you were grateful all the same. Since your old one was, more than likely, beyond repair.

It wasn’t until a loud persistent knocking on your door, that disrupted your rhythm, did you stop. You weren’t expecting any company. Then again most of the monsters liked to drop in unannounced, anyway. So you put the violin and bow back in it’s case, then got up to answer the door. When you opened the door, two familiar skeletons stood before you.

“HELLO, (Y/N)! WE WERE WONDERING IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HANG OUT TODAY?” Papyrus’s voice filling up the silence that had settled in your home, once you stopped playing.

“Hey there, bud. Finish all the unpackin?” Sans stood off to the side giving you a small wave as he said it.

“Yep, it wasn’t so bad since I packed all those flash lights.” You sign to them with a bright smile.

Papyrus cocked his head at you confused but Sans was already snickering behind him. “WHY DID YOU PACK A BUNCH OF FLASHLIGHTS?”

“Because packing _light_ is key when you travel.”

“SANS! YOU HAVE RUINED THIS HUMAN!” Papyrus screeched in dismay but it was lost on the two of you. While still silently laughing, you step aside and gesture for them to come inside.

Soon Sans was raiding your fridge for ketchup with Papyrus turning on your TV to watch the latest MTT shows he had missed while abroad. Even though, he had seen the robot idol everyday for about a month. You watched the tall skeleton from the hallway, holding back a snort of silent laughter. Talk about a die hard fan. 

It was during your internal pun fest that your rarely used doorbell went off. That was something that you haven’t heard in a long time. Leaving the skeletons to entertain themselves, you answer the door. Your eyes grow wide in shock. Before you was a girl you haven’t seen, in person, in years. A girl that you used to do everything together with you. A girl who was supposed to be your best friend.

She stood there on your doorstep with a bright happy smile on her face. A blonde girl, you didn’t know, standing a bit behind your ‘best friend’ texting on her phone. Before you get a chance to recover from their sudden appearance, you are pulled into a tight bear hug as you friend squeals in delight.

“OH MY GOD, (Y/N)! IT REALLY IS YOU! How have you been?” 

You wait until she finally releases you to respond. “I’ve been good.... And you?” 

It takes your friend a few moments to decipher what you had signed. “Oh! I’m sorry! I may be a bit out of practice but I have been great!”

Maybe she was here to hang out? It was certainly unexpected but you weren’t going to complain. Feeling a little giddy from the happiness, of having your old friend stop by, your lips turn into a soft smile. This could be good! “Would you like to come in? It’s been so long that we could catch up.”

“Oh, (y/n), I’m sorry but we can’t stay.” Your friend offers an apologetic smile as she says it. The blonde behind her still not looking up from her phone. “You see...We are only in town for a couple more hours then we have to head out... But I wanted to stop by and see you before we left! OH! And ask you a question.”

Your smile falters a bit at the rejection. Of course. Of course, she would only stop by because she needed something from you. Isn’t that what all of your old friends did? “Okay.... What is it?”

“How did you meet Mettaton?!” Your friend’s voice got higher pitch the more she spoke.

Mettaton? When have you EVER mentioned Mettaton to her? Noted you were thrown in front of cameras and announced the big winner of the song contest on international TV.... But your friend would have contacted you a long time ago if she had seen that broadcast... Unconsciously, your eyes narrowed a little bit skeptically at the two girls on your doorstep. “Where did that come from?”

“It came from this.” The blonde finally spoke up after your friend translated what you had signed. She stepped forward and placed her phone in your hands. Youtube was already loaded up to a particular video. You pressed play and you were treated to the day that Mettaton had gone in for his battery upgrade. He held you gracefully aloft as he danced around the music shop to the music you had loaded up. Several people in the video were asking ‘who you were’ and ‘why Mettaton was there?’. You continued to watch it for a bit then hit the stop button. Not before taking note of how many views that the video had gotten.

“THIS HAS 10 MILLION VIEWS!?” You signed after handing the phone back to the blonde. Your friend clapped her hands on your shoulders. Her eyes lit up in excitement.

“It went viral! This video is ALL over the internet! At first I didn’t believe it was you. But how can it not be?!” She released your shoulders to jump up and down in front of you in excitement. “So I’ll ask again..... How did you meet Mettaton?”

You let out an exhausted sigh. So this is why your ‘best friend’ was even gracing you with her presence. She wanted to know about Mettaton. Begrudgingly, you told them how you entered his song contest. You told them how you had won. Their eyes growing wide with excitement the more you signed. “To be honest, I just got back from Germany a couple days ago. We were shooting scenes for the music video.”

“THAT’S SO COOL! OKAY! I have one more question for you.” Your friend once again had her hands on your shoulders. Despite how happy they were, you felt dread starting to form in the pit of your stomach.

“Okay... What is it?”

The two girls shared a look before looking at you with big pleading eyes. “Could you get us free front row seat tickets to Mettaton’s concert next week? I mean it should be easy since you’re friends with him right?”

“No wait! Maybe you could arrange it so we could meet him!” The blonde girl spoke up with glee.

The dread in your stomach started to turn. You stepped back out of the hands of your friend. Your eyes betraying the disbelief and hurt that you now felt. “Is that the only real reason that you stopped by? You only wanted to talk to me because I know Mettaton?”

Your friend stepped back a bit. “No no no no no no! Of course not! That was was just a side thing y’know because I wanted to see you!”

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” You sign to her as hot angry tears start to form in your eyes. “If you are going to just use me then at least be fucking honest about it!”

It took her a little longer to figure out what you had said because you had signed so fast. Once she deciphered it, your friend’s happy face vanished. “Okay. Fine. Yes! I thought that since we were friends you could help us meet him. I mean that’s what friends do right? Help each other out?”

“Since when have you helped me out since we graduated?!” Pure rage filled your entire being. You were so mad that you couldn’t see straight with the angry tears. 

“(y/n), I’ve been busy with my own life since then....”

“BULLSHIT!” You cut her off by taking a threatening step forward and stamping your foot on the ground hard. It was the easiest way to show how angry you were since you couldn’t yell.“That isn’t a fucking excuse! You have a cell phone but you never call me. You never text me. You never contact me in ANY way! Whenever I would contact you, I would just get one to two word answers. You never cared what has happened in my life since! It was like I no longer mattered to you!”

“Gurl, chill out! You’re signing so fast she can’t keep up! Calm down!” the blonde spoke up and moving so she was right next to your ‘friend’, as if to back her up in a fight.

“I’ll calm down when I feel like it!” You stamp your foot several more times in frustration at their lack of understanding and the fact that they wanted to use you.

“Whoa there, I heard that angry girls are all the _RAGE_ but this is ridiculous, kiddo.” The two girls before you gasp in surprise, as Sans makes his entrance. He saunters up to your side., brand new ketchup bottle in hand. The white pin pricks that were in his eyes normally were gone. “Now I didn’t mean to listen in on this heated conversation but I got the gist of it. I’ll translate for ya, kid.”

The blonde was now kind of hiding behind the girl that was your ‘best friend’. The stout skeleton’s intimidating aura getting to her but it wasn’t even noticed by you. Your friend took a couple steps back. “(y/n).... Who.... Who is that?”

“This is my good friend, Sans. Unlike you.” You say before crackling you knuckles and laying into her. “You are probably one of the worst people I have ever met. You ignore me on purpose. FOR YEARS! When all I am is a phone call or text away. But no. Instead, you ignore me just like everyone else! You’re only there for me when it is convenient for you! Only coming to see me when it is convenient or you want to use me for something. Once I’ve done that, you throw me away like a used tissue! Forgetting about me entirely until you need me again!”

Sans didn’t miss a beat. He interpreted your flying hands with ease. Making sure not to omit or change up anything you wanted to say. After taking a deep breath to calm yourself down a bit, you continue on, “I was on Mettaton’s TV show when I won the contest! It was on INTERNATIONAL TV! LIVE! You didn’t call or message me then to congratulate me or anything! You didn’t know how many times I went to the hospital for false scares. You didn’t know about my awesome new neighbors! You didn’t know about how I started working at MTT Studios and how I almost died in a car wreck in the middle of a snowstorm in Germany! Why? Because you don’t have the time of day for me unless it’s all about you!”

Your friend’s mouth was open in surprise. The outburst completely catching her off guard. She, quickly, recovered and her surprise was replaced with anger. “What the hell, (y/n)? I’m friends with you since we were in kindergarten and this is how you treat me when I come asking for help? I’ll have you know that YOU are probably the wors-”

“Uh, you may wanna stop right there, buddy.” Sans steps up in front of you so that he is a barrier between you and the two girls. “Now you may have your reasons but... Friends don’t use friends when it is convenient for them. Nor do they ignore them in their times of need. Now I may have not known kiddo, here, as long as you. BUT. In all the time I have, I have yet to hear any of her friends mentioned in a positive light once.”

He pauses and lets his words sink in. The girls backing up a couple more steps. “Now you may need to rethink what you are about to do and just leave now. If not then you are going to need to ask yourselves one thing...”

“Oh and what’s that?” The blonde girl states after getting a moment of courage.

**“Do you want to have a bad time?”**

The looks on the two girls faces turn from anger to absolute terror. You can’t see what Sans is doing with him right in front of you but whatever it was those two had gained a healthy respect for the skeleton. They continued to walk backwards down your sidewalk until they reached their car. Without taking their eyes off of Sans, they got in and peeled out of the driveway. The tires screeching loudly, as they sped off.

Once they were out of sight, the anger that you held seemed to melt away. Leaving you sad and hollow. Backing out of the doorway, you pressed your back against the hallway wall and slide down it until you were on the floor. This was a confrontation that you had been trying to avoid for a very long time. You knew that she was just using you when it was convenient for her but she still helped with the loneliness when she visited. You hoped that she would change. Tears streamed down your cheeks. There was a sense of finality in that fight you had. She would never come back and talk to you again.

A silent sob escaped you. Even though she probably never really considered you her friend....you had. This hurt. So much. You curled up into a ball by hugging your knees to your chest. Why were people like this? Boney arms wrapped around your crying form. “Don’t cry, kiddo. Those two don’t deserve them.”

“SANS! WHY IS (Y/N) CRYING?” 

Sans picked you up and carried you into the living room. You buried your face into the fur of his blue hoodie. He stopped and thought his words over carefully. “Some _hot headed_ people stopped by.”

“BUT I THOUGHT (Y/N) LIKED GRILLBY?”

Wait, what? That’s not what he mean-...You let out a silent chuckle at Papyrus’s misunderstanding with Sans chuckling right along with you. “No, Paps. Wrong hot head.”

Papyrus placed his gloved hand on your head and you felt him try to comfort you by stroking your hair. “(Y/N).... Are you alright....?”

Turning a bit so your hands are visible, you address the tall skeleton. “I’ll be fine.... After all.... The Great Papyrus is here.”

“THAT’S RIGHT! AND I KNOW WHAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!” Papyrus pulls out his phone as you pull your face out of Sans’s hoodie to see what his brother is up to.

“How’s that?”

“WHENEVER BAD THINGS HAPPEN A NICE CREAM WILL CHEER YOU RIGHT UP!” Papyrus starts punching in a number on his phone, after posing heroically.

Sans’s smile grew even bigger. “Paps..... Are you going to help (y/n)..... _Chill_ out?” You silently snickered into your hands, earning you a wink from the stout skeleton.

The younger skeleton let out a loud annoyed groan. “THAT’S IT, SANS! NO NICE CREAM FOR YOU!”

“But, Paps.... That’s not very _nice_!” Sans was really on point with the puns.

You wiped away the tears from your face as you listened to the two skeleton brothers bicker. All the while, confusing the poor nice cream guy on the other end of the phone. They always seemed to know what to do to get you smiling again. You know what? Screw those two. Why should you be sad when you’ve got two completely awesome friends right here? Two friend that actually give a damn that you exist! So you silently laughed along with Sans puns while even including a few of your own. Much to Papyrus’s dismay.

Eventually, Papyrus heads out to go pick up the nice cream, leaving just you and Sans. You move to sit next to him on the couch, one of his arms still in comforting position over your shoulders. “Thank you for that, Sans.”

He gives you a wink before messing up your hair. “Don’t mention it. That’s what friends do.”


	16. Chapter 14

Your body felt like it was made of cement covered in a thin layer of sweat. Pain throbbed throughout your skull. A loud moan would have filled the silence if you could have voiced it. Even though you hated it, it was official. You were sick. Of course, this would happen to you. This all seemed to have developed the night after your ‘friends’ had visited. Maybe it was because of the stress from the confrontation pushing your body over the edge or maybe it had just finally caught up with you. Regardless, you were sick and it sucked!

Not wanting to move, you, begrudgingly, turned to look at the clock on your nightstand, confirming your suspicions. It was almost noon. You were supposed to head in to MTT studios this morning since everyone was supposed to be settled in. That wasn’t going to happen. Just as you were about to turn over and go back to sleep, there was a knock on the front door.

Why? Why? Why? Why do people have to come over now? It would be your luck. With your body protesting your every movement, you slowly get out of bed and walk down the hallway from your room, to answer the door. Just wanting to shoo the person away so the pounding on the door can stop. The enthusiastic pounding not ceasing once as you make your slow progress. There is only two people you know who would do that and as you open the door a small crack you are greeted to one of them. Papyrus.

“HAPPY AFTERNOON, HUMAN!” The knocking, immediately, stops once the tall skeleton notices your small presence. Thank God.

Pushing the door open a little more so he could see your hands, you groggily address the skeleton. “Hello, Papyrus.... Can I help you with something?” Completely ignoring the fact he called you human. It happens sometimes with him.

“YOU MOST CERTAINLY CAN!” Papyrus then struck a pose that brought a small smile to your face. This skeleton can always make you smile. “I AM HERE BECAUSE METTATON CALLED ME TO CHECK ON YOU! HE SAID YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO COME IN TODAY BUT YOU NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE! YOUR DRIVER JUST DROVE AWAY THINKING YOU FOUND ANOTHER RIDE.” Whoops. Poor guy must have waited a long time before giving up on you. “THEN YOU DIDN’T SHOW UP AND WHEN HE TEXTED YOU, YOU DIDN’T ANSWER BACK AND HERE I AM!”

How did your ring tone not wake you up? You had the thing set to as loud as possible! Heading back into your room at a slight faster pace than before, you pick up your phone off the nightstand and check it. Sure enough, there was 3 missed calls and 10 texts asking where you were and if you were all right. Crap. Mettaton was probably worried _sick_. You shake your head at your mental pun. Sans would be proud. Papyrus had followed you inside and was, patiently, waiting a little ways from you in the hallway. 

When you stepped back into the hallway with your phone in hand, a sudden violent dizziness overcame you. In an attempt to not fall flat on the floor, you slumped against the wall for support, moving your free hand to cover your eyes in the process. 

“(Y/N)?!” The next thing you know, you are being lifted by long skeletal arms and being cradled against the skeleton monster. Your tired head lolls against his battle armor as a gloved hand presses against your forehead. “NO WONDER YOU DIDN’T RESPOND! YOU ARE BURNING UP!”

Were you? When Papyrus had moved his hand out of the way, you slide yours up from covering your eyes. A silent sigh escaped you. The coolness of your hand felt nice on your warm forehead. Papyrus wasn’t kidding. You were burning up. Wait... How had he noticed the difference in heat with a glove on? Ignoring that fact, you look up at Papyrus while giving him a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry, Paps. I guess you could just say that I’m _hot headed_.”

This earns you a groan from the younger skeleton. “ARE YOU SURE YOU AREN’T SANS’S LONG LOST HUMAN TWIN?”

Your shoulders shake lightly with silent chuckles. “Speaking of Sans... Where is he?” you sign to him as you let your head relax on his battle armor once again.

“I DON’T KNOW! PROBABLY SLEEPING AT HIS HOT DOG STAND.” He has a hot dog stand? “BUT WORRY NOT, (Y/N)! FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL HEAL YOU FROM THIS NASTY COLD!” Wait, what? Before you can even respond, Papyrus is already dashing into your living room and placing you gently on the couch, setting your phone on the table in front of you. He then walks out, coming back with several pillows and blankets. Looks like he remembered where you put them last time.

Papyrus goes about fluffing several pillows before placing them behind your head. To many pillows. You were no longer laying down but sitting upright because there were so many. Then you were covered with blanket upon blanket, only your head popping out of them. It didn’t take long before you started to get hot. You needed to distract him so that you could take some of them off. Wiggling your hands free, you give him a bashful smile. “Papyrus... I haven’t eaten, all day. Think you coul-”

“OF COURSE, (Y/N)! I, THE GREAT CHEF PAPYRUS, SHALL MAKE THE BEST GET WELL SPAGHETTI YOU HAVE EVER TASTED!” Once he finished that sentence he was in your kitchen and all you could hear was the banging of pots and pans.

Spaghetti for a cold? You shake your head but a smile was on it. This was going to be a first. Now that the skeleton was thoroughly distracted, you took 4 of the blankets and shoved them behind the couch along with 3 pillows. It was sweet of Papyrus to take care of you but he can go a little bit overboard. You would have asked him to leave but you knew he wouldn’t have taken “no” for an answer. So you settled into your spot on the couch, turning on the TV for something to do. The show played while you watched with little interest. Your eyelids drooping a bit from the heaviness of wanting to sleep. You maneuvered so that you were laying in a more comfortable position and closed them. You’ll just eat later.

“HUMAN!”

Papyrus’s loud voice has you jumping so bad you fall off the couch in a tangled heap of blankets and limbs. Your heart beating a thousand miles a minute in your chest. You, begrudgingly, untangle yourself and sit back onto the couch clutching your heart from the shock. Now thoroughly awake. You forgot. Never let your guard down when Papyrus was here and Sans wasn’t. “Yes, Papyrus?”

“I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOMETHING TO DRINK!”

A drink, actually, sounds pretty good. So you give him a smiling nod and lay back down on the couch, re-positioning the blankets over your tired form. Papyrus marches in a few seconds later with a glass of water and a glass of orange juice. You thank him while taking a long drink from the orange juice one. The cool liquid soothing your parched throat. That felt so nice. Papyrus just NYEH HEH HEH’s in glee and heads back into the kitchen. More loud noises coming from it again. You didn’t know what he was doing but by the sounds of it he was making spaghetti more complicated than it should be.

So you watch TV for a bit as you wait for the spaghetti Papyrus is making. Your heart returning to it’s normal rhythm. Though it was a bit odd that it had reacted so severely to such small scare. It was taking much longer than the 8 minutes needed to boil the pasta. At this point you were getting a little scared. Pasta shouldn’t ever take this long. What has Papyrus been doing in there for an hour? While you were pondering whether to check up on him of not, a frantic knock comes from the front door. Now who could that be? Doubting Papyrus can hear anything over all the noise he was making in the kitchen, you toss the blankets off and slowly wander over to the front door.

You begin to open the door a little bit when its slammed open with a loud bang and you are being lifted up by your armpits. “SONGBIRD! Are you okay? Did something happen?” The metallic male voice was full of worry and stress. You looked up at Mettaton as he looked over your pajama covered self, looking for anything wrong.

Crap, you forgot to message him that you were alright. Your heart had picked up its pace a quite bit from the robot monster slamming the door out of your hands but the shock with Papyrus had been worse. You give Mettaton a reassuring smile once his eyes are back on your face. “How can I be okay when I’m personally visited by the _fabulous_ Mettaton?” You made sure to enunciate the word fabulous.

He let out a sigh of relief. “Even though that’s true, darling, you had me worried!” Mettaton said as he set you back down only to have to catch you when a dizzy spell hits and you almost fall over. “Sweetheart!? You look pale.”

“It seems I may have caught a cold.” you sign to him. Mettaton, effortlessly, picks you back up and carries you into the living room were he sets you on the couch.

“That’s rather odd. If you were going to be sick from the travel, you would have gotten it the day or two you got bac-...”He stopped mid sentence then stood up straight after pulling the blanket over you. “Wait. Does this have anything to do with those ‘friends’ who visited yesterday?” Venom seemed to drip from his voice when he said the word friends. You look up at him, curiously. How the hell did he know about that? You hadn’t had a chance to tell him yet. Mettaton picked up on your confusion and gave you a playful wink. “Sans gave me a call about it the other night. Wanted to give me a heads up in case they decided to stop by and say a few words about you to me.”

Your eyes went wide. Would they do that? Would they actually have gone to MTT Studios to try and get you in trouble with Mettaton because you refused to help them? The more you thought about it, you realized they would. They left pretty mad and what better way to get back than to crush your dreams. “Did they.... Did they stop by?” You were almost to afraid to ask.

“That they did, beautiful. They came in this morning.” Mettaton moved so he was sitting on the arm rest by your feet. He, nonchalantly, picked dirt out of his fingernails.

“....What happened?”

Mettaton gave a lazy shrug. “Those two were part of the morning studio tour. When I went to greet everyone on stage, I pulled them aside when they mentioned your name. At first, I didn’t know it was the girls that Sans had told me about but you were already running late. So I wondered if they knew where you were or what may have happened.”

Wow. Girls can be really mean. You sit up a bit more as you address Mettaton. “What did they say?”

“Songbird, I’m not gonna bore you with those details. But to summarize, they tried to say that your song was stolen from them. Things of that nature. They _really_ tried to get you kicked off the project.” He leans back a bit, oddly calm.

“What....what did you do?” you avoided his gaze as you signed it. A feeling of betrayal coursing through your veins. There was no need for them to do that. Why had you ever considered her a friend?

“I just told them what I was going to tell you when you arrived. Then had them kicked out.” 

“What’s that?”

“That I plan on taking you on as my full time songwriter.”

Your heart almost seemed to stop when you heard those words. You lifted your head to face Mettaton who was no longer looking at his nails but at you with a show stopping grin. “Oh no.... That’s not true.” Your hands beginning to shake.

Mettaton chuckled at your flustered reaction. “Ohhhhh Yes, Darling~” He sung to you in a sultry voice while he scooched down from the armrest to the couch, making sure not to sit on your legs, and leaned forward until your face was just inches apart. “I’ve seen your work and I would be insane not to snatch you up before someone else less deserving does.” Without any warning,you pulled Mettaton into a tight hug. If you could squeal you would have probably blown the sensors out in his ears by now. He, happily, hugged you back. “I just was waiting for the perfect time to tell you.”

You released him and laid back against the pillows behind you. A huge smile on your face. It was happening! Despite everything that life has thrown at you, you were going to attain your dream!You were going to be a songwriter! Carefully avoiding hitting Mettaton in the face, you hop up off the couch and do a couple happy jumps. Just so Mettaton could catch you when you start to fall over from a wave of dizziness. 

“Easy now, Songbird. You’re not working on anything until this nasty cold is gone.” He pulls the blanket back over you while your mouthing and signing “Thank you” repeatedly. “Think nothing of it, sweetheart.”

“What about that video that went viral?”

He chuckled lightly at that. “What about it? I thought it was cute, darling. Who cares?”

“I, THE GREAT CHEF PAPYRUS, HAVE FINISHED MAKING THE GET WELL SPAGHETTI! PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE HEALED BY THE POWER OF MY CULINARY SKILLS!” Papyrus walked into the living room proudly with a large plate of spaghetti in his gloved hands. He almost drops it at the sight of Mettaton sitting next to you on the couch. “WOWIE! METTATON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

The robot idol gave the skeleton a wary grin while eyeing the plate of spaghetti. “Well, honey, you never called me back and I was just fraught with worry. So I came down here to check myself. What’s....that..?”

Papyrus beamed. “(Y/N) SAID THEY HAVEN’T EATEN TODAY SO I MADE THEM MY BEST GET WELL SPAGHETTI!”

“If she eats that she’ll be six feet under.” You barely heard Mettaton mutter to himself under his breath so Papyrus didn’t hear. With a grand flourish, Mettaton stands up and casually slips a metal arm around Papyrus’s shoulders. “Now, darling, I think this may be.... A bit much for songbird to eat right now. Soup would probably gentler on her. If she feels she can eat solid.... We can prep this for dinner later.”

“YOU’RE RIGHT, METTATON! I SHALL PREPARE A SPAGHETTI SOUP RIGHT AWAY!” Papyrus started to turn to head back into the kitchen but Mettaton’s arm stopped him.

“Sweetie... I think a chicken soup would be better.” Mettaton’s face was straining to stay politely smiling but it was obvious that he wanted Papyrus to...not cook.

“BUT SPAGHETTI SOUP HAS MORE TO IT MEANING IT’S MORE NUTRITOUS!”

“Chicken soup will have more broth which would be better for her.”

Papyrus turned to the robot idol with a self assured pose. “I, THE GREAT MAID PAPYRUS, KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!”

Mettaton scoffs. “Are you saying I don’t?”

“WELL.... YOU ARE A ROBOT.....”

“I’ll have you know I can take care of Songbird, just fine!” Mettaton pressed a challenging finger to Papyrus’s chest. The tall skeleton doesn’t look the least bit convinced. “Oh it is _ON_ , Sugar skull! I’ll prove to you I know what I’m doing!” At that he runs into the kitchen, with Papyrus hot on his neon pink heels. Leaving you laying on the couch.

You blink a couple of times. What.... Just happened? The sounds in the kitchen came back with increased intensity. You prayed that they didn’t destroy your kitchen. To be honest, you hadn’t been paying 100% attention to the two after what Mettaton had announced to you. Despite feeling sick and tired, excited energy flowed throughout your body. You did it! You did it! Bringing your blanketed knees up, you hugged them to your chest. You had your dream job. 

The loud thumping of running feet had you looking up to Mettaton and Papyrus running in to where you were from the kitchen. Both had a bowl of something hot in their hands. Your stomach growled a little in protest. At this point, it was no longer lunch but more close to dinner. They shove the bowls in your face making you silently chuckle at their competitiveness. One has a nice creamy yellow color and is more broth than anything and the other.... Looks more like really watered down spaghetti. You gently push them away from your face, instead having them place it on the table next to your phone.

Mettaton places a metal hand on your forehead. “Have you had any medicine yet, sweetheart?” You shake your head and he lets out a dramatic gasp.

“I’M ON IT!” Papyrus was already out in the hallway by the time Mettaton was following. Silently laughing, you watched them go and then turned to the two soups before you. To be honest, you were a little scared of Papyrus’s but you take a spoon and try a small amount. Making sure to get a little bit of everything on the spoon for a good taste. You close your eyes and shove the spoon in your mouth. Preparing for the worst. It’s not bad, surprisingly. But Mettaton was right... Your stomach couldn’t hold more than some broth at the moment. It lurched at the little bits of hamburger and noodle that you had just ingested.

So you commenced to eat a bit of Mettaton’s chicken soup. Stopping once your stomach started to feel even more upset. Once again, the sound of thundering footsteps is heard as the two monsters run back into the living room. Mettaton was carrying a couple different varieties of cold medicine from your cabinet, whereas Papyrus brought the whole damn thing. Mettaton handed you his and Papyrus dumped all of his on the table next to the soups.

They both stare at you expectantly and you just give them a sheepish smile. Just as you are about to thank them Mettaton lets out a dramatic gasp. “Oh my, Darling! Because you are sick you probably haven’t had a chance to do chores!”

“That’s quite alright... I can do it when I’m bet-” But you stop signing once you realize the two have already booked it out of the living room. You see Papyrus run by the hallway with a broom and an apron then Mettaton dashes by and you can hear dishes clacking together.

Well... It looks like you are being thoroughly ignored for now. You take some medicine with a sip of water while watching the two monsters go about whatever. At this point you weren’t sure what they were trying to prove. About an hour later they are both huffing and puffing in front of you in the living room. Mettaton’s hair was sticking up in places and dirt was muddying up the shine on the metal. Papyrus’s skull had smudge marks on it and his apron was messed up. What the hell were they cleaning to get that filthy? Your house wasn’t that bad, was it? Still this was great. You sat there trying not to laugh at them but it was hard. 

“METTATON.... YOU ARE A WORTHY OPPONENT....” Papyrus stated while wiping some dirt from his brow bone.

Mettaton straightened up and tried to fix his hair. “You too, Sugar Skull. We can’t keep going like this.” 

Papyrus looked thoughtful for a moment. “THEN HOW ABOUT THIS LAST ONE TAKES ALL THE SPAGHETTI!”

“That sounds perfect, darling! But what is the last one..?”

You watch as bubbles start to fill the hallway from where the washing machine is. Your eyes grow wide. Who was doing laundry? Quickly, you clap your hands to get the boys’ attention. “How about whoever can clean THAT up first?” you sign fast and then point to the bubbling hallway. They turn and jump away a bit as the bubbles started flowing into the living room.

“OH MY!” Mettaton ran towards the laundry room as Papyrus ran to the kitchen for supplies. Leaving you to watch the bubbles form and pop as they go along their short life cycle. Wow. That was going to take a while to clean. Not only were they going to have to clean the laundry room but also the hallway and any other bubble infested room. You can hear them bustling and yelling at each other for overflowing the washer. Much to your amusement. Despite their entertaining antics, your eyes began to droop as the medicine began to take effect. So you snuggle into the pillow and blankets. Sleep over taking you quickly once you let it.

When you come to, the sun is setting in the window behind you. It had to be evening, by now. You sit up and stretch with a long yawn. That is what you needed. You grab your phone and look at the time: 5:40pm. It wasn’t to late. Hopefully, you’ll be able to sleep tonight though. As you are rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you hear the thundering footsteps of the two monsters in your house running back to you. Papyrus trips as he enters the doorway making Mettaton fall over top of him. You silently chuckle while they stand back up and put themselves back together. 

Mettaton posed elegantly in an attempt to retain some dignity. “So, songbird, who is the winner?”

“Um.....What?” you blink confused as you sign to them.

“WHO WON? WE WERE YELLING WHAT WE WERE DOING WHILE WE CLEANED UP THE LAUNDRY MESS!” Papyrus was bouncing next to Mettaton excitedly as he said it. How had you managed to sleep through that?

“Oh..... Well... It’s a tie!” you announce while trying to look as happy as possible. 

“A TIE?!” they exclaimed in unison and dismay.

You scratch the back of your head absently. “I’m sorry, guys.... I fell asleep during it all.... So I don’t know who won. Even if I didn’t... How could I pick between the _fabulous_ Mettaton and the _great_ Papyrus?”

“THAT’S TRUE... WE WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO DECIDE!”

“Oh, darling, I _obviously_ won.”

The two commence to argue amongst themselves. You silently laughed at them from the couch. This was great. Suddenly the couch sagged a bit under new additional weight. You looked over to see a certain stout skeleton sitting at your feet. 

“Hey there, bud.” Sans looked over at his brother and Mettaton bickering to each other. “What’s with the peanut gallery?”

“They are trying to figure out who can take care of me the best.” You sign while moving so that you are sitting next to Sans and laying your head on his shoulder.

Sans lightly gently nudges you as he laughs“I already know the winner of that.”

“Oh, really? Who?”

“Me.” he politely waits until you stop laughing before he continues. “But just for fun. Wanna bet on who will win?”

You think about it for a moment. “Are you betting on Papyrus?”

“Always.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a bet if we both bet on him..... so I’ll have to pick Mettaton.” The two of you watch as Papyrus and Mettaton try to out due each other for the rest of the night. But sleep beckons you and you fall asleep before you hear a verdict.


	17. Special Chapter War Edition pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK! This is a silly thing I came up with because of the fandom war that Quotev is hosting today. This is just part one. I literally just made this a few hours ago ( please don't judge to harshly. I started writing this at midnight and it's 4am now! lol). This is a The Call Of A Mute Heart and Five Night's At Freddy's Crossover! Let the war begin!
> 
> I literally wrote this the moment I thought of it so it wasn't planned.... AT ALL.  
> Regardless, enjoy!

The security camera closes with a loud click making you flinch at the sound. A relieved sigh escaped your lips. Nothing was happening. Everything was normal. Then again what were you supposed to expect? All of the creepy scary stuff wasn’t supposed to happen until midnight and it was just 10pm. That didn’t stop you from peeking at the cameras, periodically. Just in case. 

You pulled the blanket that you had wrapped around you even closer. Your eyes scanning the security office that you currently sat in. Well.... The completely gross and filthy security office. Why were you even here? Why were you at the closed down establishment that was formerly Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza? Why?

Undyne.

Just a few day ago, you were at Alphys lab with Mettaton. She was talking about how his body worked and some of the mechanics had reminded you of the awesome animatronics that were at the pizzeria. You told them how you used to go there a lot as a kid. That place gave Chuck E Cheese a run for their money. Better food, better music, and better prizes had added up to an awesome childhood experience. Seriously, that place was amazing. It had deeply saddened you when it had been forced to close down due to all the bad things that happened. One evil person had to ruin it for everyone didn’t they? Still.... Those poor kids...

Undyne had walked in on the latter end of your conversation and had run up to you demanding if you had done the test of courage there. You had shook your head at her. Of course you hadn’t. With your heart issues, it was a death sentence waiting to happen. Though you had heard the rumors that it was haunted. At the time you hadn’t believed them but now that you are dating a ghost in a robot and are good friends with his cousin.... It would be kind of hard to deny now. Though when Undyne had found the time to take the test.... You weren’t sure. But from then on, Undyne kept calling you a chicken and a wuss until finally you said you would do it. Even though you REALLY didn’t want too.

It wasn’t as though you were scared of the place. You were still skeptical about it. Yet, if there was the slim chance that the place really was haunted then why would you go? Still you agreed to do it much to Mettaton and Alphys’s dismay. They were both terrified that you would have an attack. So they tried to get Undyne to back off. It didn’t work. The fish woman was determined that you take the test of courage. But there was a problem. You couldn’t. You couldn’t because the place had been closed down for years. There would be no way to get in and the power would have long since been turned off. How were you supposed to do what everyone said to do for the challenge if you didn’t have power? You would need to have power for the lights, doors, and security cameras. Kinda hard to do that essential part without it.

Just then, Freddy’s animatronic face ran into the room with a ghastly roar causing you to silently scream. Your hand pushing the button to the door on the left which promptly closed. But it was useless because he was already here. You evaded his arms and dived under the old security desk in an attempt to get away but to no avail. The robot’s hand had gotten hold of your ankle and was dragging you out while you tried to find something to desperately hold on too. Your hands only coming up with dust.

The rumors were true. The animatronics were haunted! You were going to be shoved into a suit and all that would remain is your eyes and teeth. Your body trembled as your heart went into overdrive. Fear making it hard to think straight. No! It wasn’t supposed to end like this!

“Let. Her. Go.”

Mettaton’s voice came off low and menacing. The next thing you knew the hand that held your ankle was forcefully pried off. Giving you time to scramble under the desk and throw the blanket over your head. You trembled in fear. Would Mettaton be alright? He was a robot himself so would they treat him like their own or....? You shook your head and instead just tried to calm down. An attack was the last thing you needed. Mettaton could handle himself. You believed in him.

“What the....? SANS!”

You heard a loud thwack and a deep familiar giggle that turned into a pained grunt. “Geez, Mettaton, I guess you love her _beary_ much.”

The robot let out a frustrated groan. “Songbird, you can come out. Everything is alright.”

Peeking out from the blanket, you peered from your improvised hiding spot. A rather pissed off Mettaton stood in the corner holding Sans upside down by his foot (who was rubbing the back of his skull. It was probably where Mettaton had hit him.) and the Freddy Fazbear head in the other. Your brows nit together in anger. The fear you had long gone. You crawled out from under the desk and glared at the stout skeleton in front of you. “Dammit, Sans! What the hell?” your hands signing the words at a quick pace due to your anger.

He shrugged. “Sorry.... It was im- _PAW_ -ssible to resist.”

“Really, darling? I would rather you not attempt to kill my paramour with a horrible attempt at humor.” Mettaton released Sans, expecting him to just fall and hit the floor but instead he flickers out of existence. Only to reappear next to you. Though it didn’t scare you. That was something he normally did. “Were the hell did you get this thing anyway?”

“Found it in the spare parts room.”

Still clutching your beating chest with one hand you punch Sans in the shoulder with the other. Not hard. But with enough force to show him that you were mad. He still had a big shit eating grin on his face. You moved back to the seat and pulled up the security cameras again. Making sure the animatronics were still on the stage where they were supposed to be. They were still there. Thank God.

Sans sidled up to you and leaned against the chair you sat in. “Aw, c’mon kiddo. Don’t give me the silent treatment. It’s un- _bear_ -able.”

No. Nope. Nada. You weren’t going to give in to the punster. Let him stew for a bit before you forgive him. Instead, you turned your attention to the thick layer of grime and dust that had made its home on the top of the desk. This place had definitely seen better days. It was almost a mere shadow of the place you used to visit as a kid.

Wallpaper was peeling, dust was everywhere, lights flickered, and papers were littered all over the place. But a lot of it was untouched. Like the place was evacuated and then abandoned. No one ever came here. Unless you were taking the test of courage or an idiot. At this point, you were thinking that you were both. You shouldn’t have let Undyne get to you like that.

When you first got here and had gotten inside (thanks to Sans.), you had given the monsters a tour of your old stomping grounds. You showed them the stage where Bonnie, Freddy, and Chica stood. All of them in dire need of a tune up. A nasty stench came from the animatronics. What the hell could have caused them to stink like that? You weren’t sure but at the same time you didn’t want to know. Some things were best left a mystery. Then you brought them over to the arcade. For fun, you had dropped in a quarter to play your favorite game, not expecting for anything to happen. What surprised you is that it whirred to life along with all the other games in the immediate area. The lights flickered on and the old music started to play over the speakers.

It left you scared for about two minutes until you saw a familiar red headed fish and yellow dinosaur try to sneak by outside. Watching through the filthy window, they ran into the woods towards the parking lot. Undyne must have dragged Alphys here to get everything up and running again. Just so you could do the challenge. Well it was a lot better than the flashlight you had brought with you. So you spent the rest of the time playing the old games and trying to beat your childhood high scores. It had been a lot of fun.

Especially since you weren’t alone. Actually, after you said yes, Mettaton wouldn’t hear of it until you said he could go with you. There was no way he was going to let you go in to a scary place by yourself. But he made you promise that at the first sign of danger, he was taking you home. It was rather sweet. Then Sans had wandered in and had been dragged into it as well. When you were preparing your things for tonight, Papyrus had burst into your house exclaiming that he would protect you from all of the bad things. Speaking of the younger skeleton... Where did he wander off too?

“(Y/N)! LOOK WHAT I FOUND ON THE FLOOR!” Papyrus came running in from whatever room he had been exploring by himself. In his hands, he held several old childrens drawings. You smiled and took them from him only for it to vanish from your face. These drawings.... were creepy. All of them depicted the animatronics with the kids but they looked.... Soulless? Evil? Not friendly in anyway? Was that the word you were looking for?

Regardless, you didn’t look at them any longer than you needed to. “Wow, Papyrus..... These are pretty neat. Wonder how old the kids who made them are.” The tall skeleton smiled with glee before he started to leave the security office again. “Papyrus, wait!”

“Don’t worry, bud. I’ll go get him.” Sans gave you a wink and he was gone. You glanced at the clock on your phone. 11:40pm. Those two had better get back soon. All the bad stuff that was rumored to happen was about to start. Supposedly.

Mettaton reached down and handed you back the blanket that you had left on the floor after the scare. Reminding you of the prank Sans had pulled. You weren’t sure how but... You were going to get the skeleton back for that. Before the night was out you were going to prank the prank king. The robot chuckled at your angered yet determined expression, idly flipping the security cameras back up so he could see. 

All the animatronics were still where they were supposed to be. The only difference now is that you heard the clanging of pot and pans as Papyrus did whatever he was doing in the kitchen. Sans trying to get him to come back to the security office where you all were supposed to stay the night.

You put your head in your hands and looked back at the security cameras with a shallow sigh. Even if nothing happened and this was all just a big hoax... This was going to be a long night.


	18. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact! February 22 is the day I finished chapter one of this story! So it is technically the day of Mettaton's big debut ^ ^

“Okay........ Here is the new one that I came up with.....” Napstablook pushed a button on the DJ console and an upbeat spooky tune began to play over the speakers. You were sprawled out on your back in the middle of the stage. Eyes closed so that you could focus on the feel of the music. It’s a few days later and you have long since gotten over your sickness. The moment you had walked into MTT Studios, Napstablook had called you over for help. Well.... Not exactly called. When you went to say “Hi” he had asked if you could make lyrics to the music he was putting together. Then said it was okay if you didn’t want to or had the time. How could you say no to that?

So you laid there, center stage, trying to get a feel for the music. You weren’t exactly sure what kind of song that Napstablook wanted. It sounded upbeat so did he want it happy? But it was also spooky so was it a playful way to express a deeper emotion? That’s the beauty of music. Even an upbeat and happy song can have depressing or sad lyrics. It all depends on the presentation. You continued to lay there and listen to the music until it faded out

When it did, you opened your eyes and looked back at the DJ booth as Napstablook floated over to where you were. “So..... What do you think.....?”

“It sounds great like always, Napstablook.” You sign up to him from the floor. “But what kind of song do you want it to be?”

“I haven’t really...... Thought about it.....”

“Well, do you want the lyrics to match the way the music makes you feel? Or do you want them to have something else to them? Also what do you want it to be about?” You watched as Napstablook’s face went more and more thoughtful at each question you piled on. It was one thing to have the background music done but a whole other thing entirely to write lyrics for it. Most times it was easier to have the lyrics first and then make the rest of the song around it. After all, the lyrics are easier to change. So you throw ideas back and forth amongst each other for a bit. Once you kind of get an idea what he wants, you have him play the music on a loop.

The words and lines of the song flit around in your head as you listen to the music. Trying to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. You were kind of getting an idea when the music is suddenly turned off. Blinking a couple of times, you look back at Napstablook curiously to see BP running at you from the booth.

“SONGBIRD! There you are!” He skids to a stop not far from your left side. The poor cat monster’s chest heaving from running around. You cock a questioning eyebrow at him as you wait for him to catch his breath. Once he does, he stands straighter with a desperate look on his features. “We need your help.”

“With what?” you sign to him, not getting up from your laying down position.

“I’m assuming you watched at least one episode of Mettaton’s hit quiz show, ‘Questions With A Killer Robot’?” He asks. His eyes pleading that you have seen it once so he doesn’t have to explain it. The poor guy seemed to be in a hurry.

You close your eyes and think back on it for a moment. Yeah, you watched a few episodes. Random contestants were picked out of the crowd to have a ‘heart to heart’ with Mettaton as he quizzed them about general trivia knowledge. If the contestant gets an answer wrong, they receive a mild shock from the chair they sit in and lose some HP. Once their HP reaches 0, the contestant ‘loses their soul’ and loses the game. Often times they have something silly happen to them. Like slime dumped on them and there was this one guy who had been chased by a bunch of people in clown suits. If they get all of the questions right then they receive a prize based on whatever theme they have going on for that episode. When it came out, everyone just ate it up. It’s still one of the most popular shows on prime time television. “I’ve seen it a few times. What about it?”

BP seems to relax significantly when you tell him that. “Well, the girl who is supposed to reveal the answers and punishments hasn’t showed up today. Today is a special live episode since it has been one year since it has aired and we need someone to fill in for her! The show goes live in a couple hours! Will you please do it?”

“What?!” Your eyes grow wide as you sit up from the floor. You’ve never done anything like that before. Not only that but it would be LIVE. If you messed up there would be no going back and EVERYONE who watches it on international TV would see it. You shake your head vigorously. Nope. Nope. Nope. All of the nopes. That was the last thing you wanted to do. “I’ve never done that before! Plus I’m not exactly glitz up to be standing there all pretty and smiley.”

“That’s okay! If we leave now, we have more than enough time to get you through wardrobe and make up, with enough time to even show you what to do.” BP was on his knees before you now. His ears perked foreword and his eyes were large. He looked like a begging kitten. The true essence of pity and adorableness. You looked away but you could still feel those eyes on you, eating away at your resolve. Was this BP’s magic? Whatever it was..... 

It was working.

“Fine. I’ll hel-” Before you could even finish signing, BP had grabbed you by your wrist and pulled you into a standing position. Then you were being dragged through the labyrinth that is the back of MTT studios. You had thought that you were beginning to learn where everything was..... You were wrong. He lead you, expertly, through the hallways to a new area you had never been to before.

A door at the end of the hall bursts open and you were pulled into an elaborate dressing room. People and monsters filled the small space as you were led to the chair that was in front of a bunch of mirrors. They sat you down and set to work on your make up. Hands with brushes of all assorted sizes were pushed into your face as they went about their mission. BP stood off to the side with a clipboard. He flips through the papers as he fills you in on what you are supposed to do. “Your job is rather simple. You’ll stand in front of the board that has the question above the answers. When the contestant picks an answer, you just push the button by the answer they pick and it’ll reveal if it is correct or not. Then if the contestant loses all of their HP, you’ll walk over to the punishment wheel. There you’ll spin the wheel for whatever punishment they’ll receive. That’s all you have to do.”

You would have nodded your head but the make up artists had your head in a vice hold. That seemed simple enough. It’s not like you had to talk or anything. Just push a few buttons, smile, and spin a wheel. That shouldn’t be hard. You can do that without making yourself look like an idiot on international TV. 

Once they were done with your make up and hair, you didn’t even have a chance to get a good look at yourself in the mirror becore you were dragged into wardrobe. Several glitzy dresses were pulled out and thrown at you to try on with BP eventually settling on a sparkly black and pink number. It was pretty but there was only one problem. The damn thing was revealing! The neckline was a low heart shape and the skirt was slinky but was high on your thighs. Unconsciously, your hands grabbed the hem and attempted to tug it down. It slide back up in its previous position. Your eyes caught a glimpse of your dolled up self in the full length mirror across from you. Wow. They did a good job. The dress fit you perfectly and the makeup they had done just accented your natural features. Could you hire these guys all of the time?

BP took your hand again and you were being led out on stage. The audience was already in their seats. Mettaton was no where to be seen. The stage was dark as you were led over to where the board was. Your heels clicking across the hard floor. You looked at the large board that stood before you. The screens black with button on certain ones. “So... How do I do this?”

“Okay, first off, you’ll stand over here and when the first question appears just keep smiling because you’ll be on camera. When a contestant picks an answer and it’s their final answer, press this button here. Mettaton will prompt you on when to push it.” BP pointed to a green button on the base of the TV. “But that’s if it’s on this side. If it’s on the other side, walk until you are on the opposite side and you are not standing in front of the screen. Those little black tiles on the floor can indicate where you stand. When it’s time for a punishment just head over there to the wheel. When Mettaton prompts you, grab a peg and spin it! That’s all there is to it.”

He made it sound so easy. After the explanation, BP left to go stand off set. Leaving you to stand off to the side of the board where he had told you. You felt the dress shift when you moved your legs. Man this dress was high... Uncomfortably so. Screw it. You’re fixing it.

“HELLO, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES~” Dramatically sassy music starts playing and the spot lights run around the entire setup until they line up and lead into center stage where Mettaton was standing. He had a smoldering look on his face and his hand was on his hip, with a microphone in the other. “It’s that time again for..... Questions With A Killer Robot~” His sultry voice rang about the room as cheers erupted from the audience. “But it’s not just a normal episode, sweeties.... Today is my special 1 year anniversary episode!” Applause fills the room while Mettaton pauses and waits for it to die down. “With that in mind..... All questions will be all about me and my career! So I hope all you, darlings, have been paying attention!”

He leans in and winks to the crowd before straightening up with a flourish. BP was holding cue cards for Mettaton to read. “Now I, Mettaton, will be your fabulous host with my beautiful assistant, Songbird!” Mettaton thrust an arm in your direction and the lights on your side of the stage lit up. “Wait, Songbird?!”

All cameras were brought over to you while you were hunched over trying to magically make the length of the dress longer. The polite applause of the audience filling the room. Your head whipped up at the sound of your nickname. A bright embarrassed blush forming on your face as you quickly stopped fumbling with the dress and straightened up, waving at the camera with a shy smile.Well, great. Two seconds in and you already look like an idiot. Well done.

Slowly the audience applause fades and the cameras are still on you. Which is odd. They should have directed back to Mettaton when he continued the show. But he hasn’t spoken. You glanced away from the cameras over to the robot. He was standing center stage, frozen. His eyes taking in your dolled up self and it didn’t look like he was going to be breaking out of the stupor anytime soon. Your eyes wandered back over to the cameras still trained on you. If Mettaton didn’t speak up the show couldn’t go on. But the robot idol was not budging.

Steeling yourself, you put on a playful smile and walked over to Mettaton. The cameras following your high heeled journey across the stage. The robot idol’s eyes followed you as well. Once you were standing right next to him, you looked up into his amazed face. He was still stuck. You brought your hands up and clapped them loudly in his face, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the room.

Mettaton blinked and stepped back a bit as he stood straighter. He shook his head with a show stopping smile returning to his face. Your hands move to your hips while you raise a skeptical eyebrow at him. However your clap had brought him back to earth and he had recovered.“Well, darlings, I think we all know who the real killer robot is.” He said while winking playfully at the audience.

This earned him a small laugh from the audience but it got louder when you crossed your arms and playfully rolled your eye at him while shaking your head. Somehow... someone unfazed by the fabulous robot and giving him a hard time seemed to get the audience rolling again. You left him there, heading back to your original spot next to the board before he could say anything else. He was now reciting the rules of the game while you watched from your spot. Arms still crossed. Sometimes you could catch the camera turning to you out of the corner of your eye and the audience would start laughing again.

Wonderful. You just wanted to get through this with as little attention on you as possible. Well that hadn’t worked. Now you were taking up just as much attention as Mettaton was. Why had he froze up like that? There was no way it was because it was the way you looked. It was probably because of the fact your were playing with your dress when he introduced you. But his reaction seemed like that he hadn’t known it would be you. Had he not known who was replacing the normal girl? Then again it was so last minute it wouldn’t be surprising. 

“Alright, beauties! Now that we know how to play, it’s time for our first contestant of the day. Marc!” Mettaton pointed off into the audience and the spotlights followed his hand into the audience until they landed on a young man. The boy’s face lit up in happiness and surprise at being picked. He stood up and made his way through the row of seats and down to the stage next to Mettaton. “Hello. Darling! How are you this gorgeous day?”

“I’m feeling fantastic! Hi, Luna! Hi, Drake!” Marc waved into the cameras as he said it. Mettaton smiling and waving a long with him. Mettaton, then led him to the two chairs that sat in the middle of the room. A computer console facing the one that Mettaton moved to sit in.

“Well then, we know how to play! Let’s bring up Marc’s HP.” Mettaton gestured with his hand and a screen behind Marc’s chair lit up to display Marc’s name and the number 3 under it. “We’ll start off with an easy one. Remember that all the questions pertain to myself and my career for this episode. Now... What are robots made of?”

The screens next to you blinked to life with the big one showing the question. The four screens that were within your reach lit to life with “Metal & Magic”, “Snips & Snails”, “Hopes & Dreams”,and “Sugar & Spice” as Mettaton read off the answers. Other than Snips & Snails.... Couldn’t most of those be right? You shrugged it off and hit the Metal & Magic one when Marc had decided and Mettaton asked you to reveal if it was right. The screen turned green and a pleasant alarm sound rang out. 1 correct answer down.

For a while, it continued on this way. Mettaton would banter with Marc while he tried to think of the answer. You would play along, a couple times he had asked for your help and you had told him. In sign language. This had gotten a great laugh from the audience. They had expected you to say something. When Mettaton had called you out on giving him the answers you just playfully shrugged at him. Thus earning you more laughs because they had Not expected you to give the actual answer to him in sign language. Fortunately.... Marc didn’t understand you anyway. Which made it all the better.

But it was now or never. Marc only had one question left and he only had one HP left. Mettaton leaned across the console. His eyes narrowed in a sultry but serious way. “You have one question left and one HP left. If you get this answer correct then you win the whole show but if you don’t..... Your soul is mine.” The way he said it made goosebumps form on your skin. You weren’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. “Now, beautiful.... Here is your final question....”

“On what day did I make my big debut?”

The camera turned back over to you as the question appeared on the big screen and 4 dates showed up on the smaller ones. You glanced at the possible answers out of the corner of your eye. March 14, 2016. May 9, 2016. February 22, 2016. April 4, 2016. March wasn’t it and neither was April..... It had to be February. It was the earliest date. Then again you only knew this because it was mentioned when you had studied on Mettaton to write your song. Your eyes wandered back over to Marc whose confidence had taken a nose dive. This was probably the easiest question for die hard fans but the hardest for those who weren’t. Looks like the poor guy wasn’t the biggest fan.

“Ugh, Mettaton.... I don’t know....” Marc groaned out as he brought his hands to his face. The stress very apparent in his body language.

Mettaton tsked at him sadly. “That’s to bad, sweetie. You have to pick an answer.....” Then his face turned into a show stopping smile. “But luckily for you, since it’s a special episode, we’re taking callers to help you out! Alright all you beautiful people out there! Dial the number that is on your screens now to help Marc defeat me!” The crowd erupted in applause as the sound of a phone ringing overtook the room. We waited patiently until the phone ringing stopped. “Hello, beautiful! You’re on TV.”

“Hey there, punks!” Your eyes grew wide at the voice. Was that Undyne?

“U-Undyne! What are you doing?” you heard Alphys’s timid voice in the background. Yep. Definitely Undyne.

“Shhhh... Alphys!” The fish woman hissed behind her because her voice sounded distant. “Anyway... I know I’m supposed to answer that guy’s question BUT I think we all know you have a better question that you wanna ask Songbird over there.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Mettaton’s voice playful and his interest peeked. Though he did look a little tense. You could hear Undyne cackling on the other end of the phone. What the hell is she talking about?

 

“Why don’t you ask her if she would smooch a ghost?”

You blinked, confused. What did she mean by that? Could you even kiss a ghost? Probably not unless it had a corporeal for-...OH! That’s right! Mettaton was a ghost in a robot body. It was so easy to forget that. Your eyes glanced back at Mettaton not sure how he would respond to that or what you should do.

The look on Mettaton’s face. 

Was priceless.

Somehow the robot was blushing madly and he seems to have frozen up again. His suave nature was completely gone. The screens on your right started to change and instead of asking the previous question it now said “Would Songbird smooch a ghost?”. All the answers changing to “Heck Yeah!”.

Now the cameras had turned back to you and you were looking between them and the audience. You could hear Undyne, on the phone, chanting “Do it! Do it!”. Thus inciting the audience to start chanting it as well. Crap. Your heart beat nervously in your chest. What do you do? Should you just go up and kiss him or....? You looked over at him and his gaze met yours. A blush matching the robot’s made it’s way on your face. Wait. Where is that coming from?

“Thanks for the help, sweetheart! Time for another caller!” Mettaton quickly recovered and hit a button on his console. The phone hung up on Undyne and the ringing came back. The audience’s chant turned into laughter at the flustered host. Thankfully, the cameras turned away from you and you were allowed to recover. What... The hell... Was that for Undyne?

Eventually the ringing stops and Mettaton answers “Hello, beautiful! You’re on TV!”

“DON’T YOU HANG UP ON ME!”

Your eyes grow wide as the audience roars with laughter. How the hell did Undyne get back on the line so quickly? There had to be at least over 100 other people who were trying to call in.

“U-Undyne.... Maybe you shouldn’t...”

“Oh come on, Alphys! You ship it too!” Undyne’s voice was distant again as she addressed her girlfriend. It dawns on you what happened. Alphys probably hacked into the phone line so that Undyne could call in again. Just one of the many perks of dating the royal scientist. Thanks for that Alphys. But this needed to stop...

While the cameras were on Mettaton as he bantered with Undyne on the phone, much to the amusement of the audience, you headed over to BP who still had a couple of blank cue cards. Once there, you grabbed a blank one and his pen, then headed back to your spot. This show needed to get back on track because by now the argument had escalated. The two of them arguing in full force. Noted Mettaton still looked in control but... Everyone here would tell you otherwise. You started writing on the blank card when you heard Undyne’s booming voice.

“Oh, Enough, Mettaton! Hey, camera guys! Turn to Songbird for a minute!” They happily did as the caller said and soon you were the one with all of the attention again. You looked up at the camera and waved with the pen in your hand, bashfully. “Awesome! Now since the weak metal punk won’t ask you then I will! Would you smooch a ghost?”

With the blankest poker face you could manage to make, you flipped over your cue card. It had only two words written on it. 

Heck. Yeah.

Immediately, the crowd went nuts. They whooped and hollered at you along with Undyne. Now it was time to finish this silliness. Despite your heart doing back flips in your chest and your stomach full of butterflies, you walked over to Mettaton, who was currently slumped dramatically against his console with his hands hiding his face. The cameras followed your journey as you lifted Mettaton’s face gently by his chin and pressed your lips to his.

The crowd went insane. Your ear drums throbbing from the high pitched cheering of the audience. You pulled away with your blush matching Mettaton’s in intensity. It was obvious he wasn’t going to be able to recover from that. So you flipped over the cue card and wrote something at the top, before flipping it back over to show the audience. Once again, it only said two words.

Happy now?

You could hear Undyne laughing her head off. “Yes! I’m good. I think everyone is now!”

She had a point. You’ve never seen the crowd get so riled up during a show but even you knew that this show was running a little long. It had to end before the next show could begin. So you flipped the cue card over and wrote something else under “Happy now?” Taking over the roll as host, since Mettaton was currently out of commission.

“Would you please help answer poor Marc’s question now?” it said once you had flipped it over for the cameras and the audience to see.

“Sure thing. It’s the February one. Trust me!” The audience was still laughing as Undyne said it but you ignored them. Cocking an eyebrow at Marc as if to ask if he would like to pick that answer.

Marc looked unsure for a moment before finding his resolve. “Okay! I pick the February one!”

“I’m so sorry......” You had wrote on one side of the cue card but having run out of space. The poor guy deflated at the words. With a mischievous grin you flipped it over and pointed to the new words under “Heck Yeah!”. “But that is absolutely correct!”

The crowd screamed in happiness for Marc as he fell back in his seat in a stunned silence. Your shoulders shook from silent laughter while gently nudging Mettaton so he could close out the show. You would have done it but your cue card had run out of space. 

He seemed to recover after your prompting. Leading Marc over to the prize wheel and leaving you by the center stage console still laughing. Not long after, the show ended. You left the stage and made your way back to the dressing room. Just glad to not to be in front of the cameras anymore.

You sat down heavily in the make up chair, looking at yourself in the mirror. A faint blush still dusted your cheeks while your thoughts traveled to what had happened a few moment before. Would you kiss a ghost? Well, you just proved that you would. You kissed Mettaton. You kissed him and..... you liked it. Your hand trailed up to rest on your still nervously fluttering heart. Oh no.... When had this started happening? A frown took over the small elated smile that was previously there. There was no way that could happen.. It couldn’t! It shouldn’t! But it was....You were developing feelings for Mettaton, with your eyes growing wide at the realization.

What were you going to do?


	19. Special Chapter War Edition pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Everyone! I'm glad everyone enjoyed this little side story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Though it isn't over.... I'll be updating the side story when I can. The main story comes first!

“So, kiddo.... Anything happenin?”

You glance again at the cameras and shake your head at Sans. Everything is as it should be in the decaying Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Despite it being a little past midnight.... It was almost 12:30am. Wasn’t all the bad things supposed to have started happening? So much for that. Guess it really was just a ghost story. You were just spending the night in a creepy run down restaurant. Might as well cross that off your bucket list.

Your head laid in the crook of your elbow as you closed the cameras. Bored, you reached over and pushed the door button to the right several times. The door opened and closed with loud mechanical swooshing sounds. It was amazing that they ran so smoothly considering they weren’t in use like they used too.

“HUMAN... COULD YOU PLEASE STOP PLAYING WITH THE DOOR BUTTONS?” Papyrus’s voice was significantly quieter than normal and it ended with a long yawn. Poor guy. You took the blanket that you had wrapped around you and gave it to the tired skeleton who was propped up against the wall on the floor behind you. It was way past his normal bedtime. Somehow he was still awake but you weren’t sure for how much longer.

“Sorry, pap.... Just bored.” you signed to him with a small smile, pushing the button so that the door was open again. While you went about checking the cameras again with tired eyes, you felt someone tug your shirt to get your attention.

Mettaton looked up at you, from his spot next to you on the floor, with a bored look. “Sweetheart... Since this is basically a waiting game... Could you tell us why exactly this place was shut down?”

“Sure.” You swiveled the chair so that you could still see the screens but also so that everyone could see you sign. “This place isn’t the original restaurant. This was the one that was bought and franchised. Then was redone after the franchised one closed. The first franchised one looked a lot better than this place.”

“But there was a guy who worked at the former restaurant, a security guard.   
He led 5 kids to a backroom were they then went missing. It wasn’t long until he was caught. Though the bodies of the kids were never found. It got such a bad rap that they closed it down.” You paused for a moment to take a quick glance at all the cameras before continuing. “Then someone else took it over and this place was made. But due to the previous stores bad rap it didn’t get that much business. It didn’t help that the animatronics leaked like mucus and stuff.... They stink... Pretty sure you smelled it earlier. So the Health Department shut them down.”

A small whimper could be heard behind you and you turned to look at a rather sad Papyrus.”WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?”

All you could do was shrug. “I don’t know what the guy did but then rumors started floating around that the animatronics were acting weird. Let it go word of mouth a few times and everyone now says they are haunted. But no one knows if it is true or not. More than likely not.” You added when you saw a hint of fear start to show in Papyrus’s face. Giving him nightmares was the last thing you wanted to do. “This place has been left to rot ever since.”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the least.” Mettaton rested his head back against the desk. You went back to looking at the cameras. Once again, everything is where it should be. Your finger pushed the button for the pirate’s cove camera and a grin appeared on your face.

With a low yawn, you stand up. Making sure to grab the flashlight that you had brought with you and flicking it on. “Well. It’s pretty obvious that nothing is going to happen. I’m going to go and see Foxy.”

“Foxy?” Sans deep voice had you looking to where he sat next to his nodding off brother. He had been so quiet you had forgotten he was there for a moment. “I don’t remember no Foxy.”

“That’s because I forgot to show him to you.” You signed before gesturing to the camera that was currently on Pirate’s Cove. “He was considered dangerous and thus taken off the normal routine. But to be honest, I don’t know why he was. He didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Still... Beautiful, weren’t we supposed to remain here, in the security office, until 6 am? What if something happens to you?” Mettaton had a look of concern on his face. He really didn’t want you walking around this creepy place by yourself at night.

You pointed to the camera console. “I’ll be fine. You can watch me with the cameras and if something happens.... You can come and save me. It’s literally right down the hallway. Besides if something was supposed to happen it would have by now. It’s 1 am.”

Mettaton didn’t look entirely convinced but relented. He maneuvered into the chair with Sans taking the spot he left. You smiled at him and started down the hallway. Your flashlight casting haunting shadows on the walls. The only thing scary about this place was that it looked like the ceiling might cave in on you.

It wasn’t long until you were walking into the room that held your favorite pirate fox. Standing just before the curtain, you turned and gave the camera a friendly wave. Making sure to sign “Look I lived!” before turning your attention to the curtained stage. You put your flashlight into a belt loop and push open the curtains a small bit. Your other hand reaching in.

Suddenly, your eyes grow wide as the color drains from your face. You were pulled toward the stage while letting out silent cries of surprise. Desperately, you steeled your feet to the ground and tried to pull back. But to no avail. You glanced up at the camera, hoping that your friends could see you before you were pulled into the depths of the curtains.

The light of the flashlight cascaded around the dark curtain enclosed stage while you stumbled to regain your footing. Once you did, silent giggles started to make your shoulders shake. That should show Sans after what he did to you. Oh man, that was good! If Sans was watching there was no doubt that he would be coming to get your ass right now. You could give Mettaton’s acting skills a run for their money. Speaking of Mettaton..... He was probably going to be an unknowing casualty. You didn’t exactly have the time to plan this out properly and it wasn’t like you could have told him that you were going to pretend to be “snatched up” with Sans in the room.

It was only a matter of time before they came to get you. So now, all you had to do was wait. Angling the flashlight on your hip, you look around the stage. It was musty and dust particles were everywhere. The light scanned the area until it landed on the one thing you were looking for. Foxy.

He was standing in his usual spot in the center of the stage. His hook arm raised high and his head leaning forward a bit as though he was about to address the crowd in his scratchy pirate voice. The poor guy was in bad condition. All you could see of his legs was the metal endoskeleton under his tattered brown pants. The pants were supposed to be tattered to begin with but not this bad. You walked up to him and gently touched his arm. The fur on his arm gritty feeling but overall.... It was still Foxy.

You turned so that you were standing next to him and leaned up against him gently. The animatronic not giving in to your added weight at all. It saddened you to see him in such disrepair. He was probably the coolest out of the four main animatronics. Freddy was supposed to be the one that everyone loved but Foxy had more personality in the tip of his hook than Freddy ever had. Nuff said.

Loud frantic clicks echoed down the hall as you heard Mettaton dashing from the security office. The edges of the curtains started to turn blue. Looks like you didn’t have to wait to long for them to come get you. 

“SONGBIRD!”

“Kiddo?”

Within seconds, the curtains were shoved aside to reveal a terrified Mettaton and a determined Sans. The blue flames in his left eye making ominous shadows on his skull. Both were prepared to destroy anything that was going to do you harm. All you had for them was a big shit eating grin and a satisfied look in your eyes.

Once they take in the sight that you were completely fine, Mettaton lets out a loud frustrated groan. “Sweetheart, what were you thinking?!”

“That wasn’t funny, bud.” The cyan flames dissipated in Sans eye, leaving both of them dark. You, however, were not intimidated by it in the least.

Silent laughter wrack your body. “It was a little funny. You should have seen the looks on your faces!” You were barely able to sign the words before falling into another fit of laughter.

“Honestly! I thought you had gotten hurt or worse!” Mettaton walked up, pulling you into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Mettaton. I didn’t want to prank you to but...” You pulled out of his arms and pointed to Sans. “He deserved it.”

It was silent for just a moment before a deep rolling laughter joined in with your silent one. The lights returned back into Sans eyes as he shook his head at you. “Okay.... You got me good, kid.”

“I got you so good I..... _Rattled your bones_.” You leaned towards Sans with the biggest grin on your face.

Mettaton left your side and walked back towards the hallway. “Darling, PLEASE!”

“Aw, c’mon Mettaton! You know my jokes are _humerus_.”

“You’ve used that one before.” He had caught you signing out of the corner of his eye and at this point he was massaging his temples.

“So? That doesn’t mean they still aren’t _punny_!”

“Can we PLEASE not do this right now?”

“Okay, Okay! I’m done!” you still had a big grin on your face as you signed it. Heckling Mettaton was probably one of your favorite things to do. His reactions were always worth it. Sans was laughing alongside you when you all heard something that made you all stop.

“OH, HELLO, BUNNY ROBOT! HOW ARE YOU THIS FINE NIGHT?”

Your blood went cold as you looked at the faces of Mettaton and Sans. Theirs seeming to mirror yours of horror. Papyrus wasn’t the kind of guy to play a prank like that. Sans blipped out of existence and Mettaton was running back towards the security office. You started to follow when you were jerked to a stop. What the hell? Was your shirt caught on something?

Looking behind to see what had stopped you... The color faded from your face as a silent scream erupted from your throat. Foxy lunged forward with his metal hand holding tightly to the back of your shirt. You scrambled to get away from him, his figure looming over yours. Your heart was pounding away in your chest as your eyes grew wide. The fear coursing along with the adrenaline in your veins.

It was real. Everything they said about them was real.

Oh _shit_.


	20. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case that I forgot to do this last chapter.... We are officially halfway through the story! Still can't believe it.... Thank you so much!

“Hey, hey, kiddo. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s all just a formality. That’s all it is.” Sans stated as he gently patted your hand. You looked down at him from your high perch on the exam chair. Goosebumps had long since spread across your skin and your nose wrinkled up from the smell of chemicals. It didn’t help that you had to wear one of the thin patient gowns. They always made it so that you were freezing. This was the last place you wanted to be but it had to be done. So here you were, sitting in the exam room for your routine heart check up. Thankfully, you weren’t alone this time, like several of the previous times. 

Sans had heard the message left on your answering machine, by a nurse, the last time he was over at your house. Long story short, he became your mode of transport. Why use a cab when you could teleport? You hadn’t wanted to advertise to all of your friends about what you were doing. So the only person who knew you were going to this was him.

Seeing your shivering distressed state, Sans shrugged off his parka and draped it across your shoulders. Without any hesitation, you shoved your arms into the correct spots, snuggling into it gratefully. Why do hospitals put you in thin clothes and cold rooms? It sounds counter intuitive. 

Your hands peeked out the ends of the large sleeves. “I know.... But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” To be honest, you hated this. You have already done the basic tests. Even coming back to go through an Electrocardiogram and an Echocardiography. Then even more tests when those were finished. Dr. Chamberlain had said that he was going to check everything since you had such a nasty scare in Germany. He was a rather nice guy but you have been here since 8 am. It was now going on 1pm. You just wanted out of here.

The whole entire time, Sans hadn’t left your side unless you had asked him too. Which was only when you changed. You hadn’t voiced it but just having him here has made this whole experience better. It’s always better to deal with this kind of stuff when you weren’t alone. Your stomach gurgled it’s displeasure. Once this was over with you were going to nag Sans in taking you to Grillbys. You doubted that he would put up to much of a fight. It would also give you a chance to finally thank the fire elemental for finding your phone.

Just as Sans was about to make a pun about your hungry stomach, the door to your exam room opened and in walked your doctor. He closed the door behind him with one hand while looking at the clipboard in his other. “Well, you’ll be happy to hear that you won’t be doing anymore tests today.”

A silent sigh of relief relaxed your body. Thank God. That means after whatever he was going to say you could leave. However the relief you felt ebbed away as an air of somber uneasiness seemed to emanate from Chamberlain. You looked at Sans out of the corner of your eye and judging by the subtle expression on his face he could feel it too.

“Now. I have to ask this since Sans here isn’t a family member but a friend. Do you want him in here as I tell you the results?” Chamberlain stated after clearing his throat.

You nodded your head. “Whatever you say to me can be said to him. Sans would probably understand it better than I would anyway.” Giving the doctor a playful shrug while in the over sized parka.

Chamberlain cracks a small smile at you before continuing. “Alright then.... As you know, I gave you all those tests because from what you described.. That attack you had in Germany had been pretty bad. Now I could have sent you home after the testing was over but I figured it would be better for you to stay so you weren’t stressing out over the results.”

“Makes sense.” Sans piped up from beside you. His laid back demeanor comforting you somewhat. Once again, Chamberlain offered a small smile but it was soon replaced with a serious look.

“Unfortunately.... I don’t have the best of news to give you.”

Dread immediately started to form in the pit of your stomach. “What is that supposed to mean?” Your hands signing it a little quickly due to the anxiety that was starting to show up. So Sans had to interpret for you.

“I have a question for you. Ever since that attack have you been having a bunch of smaller ones much more frequently?” The look on Dr. Chamberlain’s face was so serious that you had to look away. But he was right. You have had little attacks more frequently.

There hadn’t been any on set while you were in Germany but after you were home they kind of picked up. The first few had been when you had gotten sick and Papyrus had scared you. That scare shouldn’t have incited such a bad reaction. Same goes for when Mettaton stopped by later. For awhile nothing happened but here and there... Little things had brought on attacks when they normally wouldn’t have. How did Chamberlain know that though?

“Yes, but... They were so small and spaced out I didn’t see the point in mentioning them.” You signed to him as your brow furrowed with worry. Where was he going with this?

Dr. Chamberlain let out a heavy sigh. “That was what I was afraid of....” He then turned his attention away from you and to the clipboard in his hand. “The attack in Germany was much worse than you were led to believe. There hadn’t been any immediate residual side effects. So it was only natural that the doctor you went to, while there, didn’t see anything.” He paused for a moment as if trying to figure out how to word what he was about to say. “In short.... If you have another big attack... It will more than likely be your last.”

....What?

All color drained from your face as your body went completely still. The dread and anxiety slowly being replaced by a cool numbness. However Dr. Chamberlain continued on. “Since it isn’t going to get any better, would you like me to put you on the donors list? That way if we find a match we could do a transplant but I need to warn you. Even if it is a match, there is a chance that your body could reject the new heart....”

The doctor’s voice sounded more and more distant as the realization of what was happening hit you. All your life you were expecting to have an attack at any time. Now the next major attack would more than likely end you. This couldn’t be happening... Why was it happening?!

“(y/n)? (Y/N)?”

You were pulled out of your thoughts but you didn’t jump. You didn’t get scared. To be honest, you couldn’t feel anything at the moment. You were just numb. Your eyes wandered from your lap up to Dr. Chamberlain. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Would you like me to put you on the donors list?”

Absently, you nodded and he wrote something down on his clipboard. “Okay, well... It was nice to see you again.. You can head out whenever you are ready. You can call me at anytime if you have any questions.” At that Dr. Chamberlain gave you a somber smile before exiting. Making sure to close the door behind him as he did. It’s not like he could do any more for you while he was there.

Your eyes drifted back down to your lap where a boney hand was gently squeezing your knee. You decided to trail your eyes up his arm until you were looking at a very concerned Sans. His brow bones were brought together with worry. “You okay, bud?”

 

“I..... I don’t know...” You fumbled to sign the words as your stomach made itself known again.

“Why don’t I take you to Grilbys? We can call a cab an-”

Shaking your head slowly, you cut him off. “Let’s just go after I change back.” You stand up and grab your clothes that were on a table nearby. Sans politely, stepped out as you quickly changed back into your regular clothes. Making sure to throw the evil smock garment thing in the trash. You opened the door and grabbed a hold of Sans hand when you reached him. He started to head out the doors but was stopped when you hadn’t moved. He looked back at you confused “Sans...Please... Can we just go?”

“Kid, I don’t feel comfortable doing that wi-”

“Please?” you signed with your free hand and it was trembling a bit. There was no doubt he could feel it in the one he held. You desperately just wanted out of this place.

Sans looked at you for a few moments before letting out a heavy sigh. “Alright, kiddo. You win. Come here.” Without any hesitation, you wrapped your arms around him and closed your eyes. He does the same around you, his left eye lighting up in a bright cyan blue as the familiar feeling of falling begins. In moments, the quiet chaos of the hospital is replaced with the loud tranquility that is Grillbys Bar and Restaurant. “Here we are. Let’s get some food in ya.”

He led you up to the same spot at the bar where he usually sits. You plop down heavily on the stool next to him. This time the stool was missing the whoopie cushion that Sans had used on you the first time you were here. Your eyes just looked at the nice wooden counter. Looks like Mettaton’s heels hadn’t damaged it after all. 

The temperature next to the two of you grew when the fire elemental made his way over to where you were at. A pleasant crackling sound coming from him. “Two orders of the usual... Minus the ketchup for my pal here.” Sans speaks up from beside you.

Grillby walks off a few seconds later and you are left alone. Sans reached over the counter and grabbed a ketchup bottle that was already waiting for him on the shelf below. He took a swig, just sitting in silence next to you. There wasn’t much that could be said at the moment. It continued like this until Grillby came back with two plates that held a burger and fries.

The fire elemental crackled as he said something. Sans thanked him and you nodded your head without looking at the monster. However, he didn’t leave. The crackling came back but it sounded more concerned than the pleasant crackling from before. It wasn’t like you could understand him. So you grabbed a fry and put it in your mouth. Chewing slowly despite your stomach growling to feed it faster.

“Hey... Grillby wants to know if you are okay, kiddo.” Sans placed his hand comfortingly on your shoulder as he said it. It was obvious that he wanted to hear your thoughts too. But what was there to say? That you were fine? You were FAR from fine but you couldn't just say that. It was bad enough that they were already worried about you.

Steeling yourself, you look up and give them both a reassuring but somber smile. “I’m.... fine... I’ve just got so much on my mind.... It’s kind of _fried_.” Making sure to pick up another french fry and put it in your mouth for emphasis.

They gave you a polite chuckle but the concern was still written on their faces. Even though Grillby didn’t have a face. Looks like the you weren’t going to weasel your way out of this with puns. It had been worth a shot. Your eyes trailed back to your food as you commenced to eat slowly. The subject needed to change away from you. “By the way... Thank you for finding my phone, Grillby. I haven’t had a chance to thank you for that yet.”

His flames grew bright as he crackled at you happily. He probably didn’t even think that you would remember but it has been a while. Another customer called out his name and he excused himself. Once he was out of sight, your eyes drifted back to the counter and you ate even faster.

“Whoa there, buddy. I know its called fast food but slow down there.” Sans chuckled next to you. Just to appease him, you did as he asked but the conversation ended at that. Once the two of you were done, Sans called out to Grillby. Telling him to put it on his tab. 

His arms wrapped around you and you teleported out of the restaurant into your living room. You had to bite back a bitter silent laugh at the irony. “I need to check and see if Paps is home. I’ll be right back, okay kid?”

You released Sans while nodding and headed into your room. Your legs moving of their own accord as if you were a zombie. The darkened room beckoned you. So you let it. You walked over to the bed and laid down on it. The numbness in your body just as prominent as it was in the hospital exam room. With Sans gone, all of the thoughts that you have been pushing back so as not to worry him bubbled to the surface.

Why was this happening? Everything was finally going the way it was supposed to! You had good friends who loved you. Your dream job was finally coming to fruition. You were even figuring out that you had fallen in love with someone. So many good times. So many good memories.... Why? Why? WHY? WHY?

A bitter silent whimper wracked your body as tears started down your cheeks. Dr. Chamberlain may have given you a way out by putting you on the donor list but he might as well have just told you your death sentence. The attacks were becoming more and more common. There were already a bunch of people who were on that list. So many people that have been on it for much longer than you have. The likely hood of finding a donor was slim. It was only a matter of time before the big one hits. Then it’ll be all over. You would no longer exist.

No longer would you be able to play around on stage at MTT Studios with Napstablook and BP. You wouldn’t be able to tell puns with Sans and cook with Papyrus. Undyne would never get to train with you and you wouldn’t be able to talk anime with Alphys. No more creating music with Mettaton....

That last thought brought you into hysterics. Violent silent sobs shook your entire body. This wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t! You didn’t want to go yet. This was all wrong. Why, when you finally start getting everything you want out of life does it have to throw you back to the ground? Just WHY?!

Several times you punched your pillow in sad frustration. Your emotions no longer in check. After a few minutes of thrashing around on your bed, you rolled over so that you were facing the wall. All of your energy gone having thrown it all into your emotional meltdown a few seconds prior. You just stared at the wall as tears continued to fall. To tired for anything other than feeling cold and numb.

“Hey, kiddo. Sorry about taking so lo-..... Oh jeez... Kid?” Sans deep voiced rolled in from the hallway and into your room. A gentle hand was placed on your shoulder as it lightly pulled so that you were laying on your back. Your head lolled along with your body, turning to face the stout skeleton once your body was on its back.

A smile was still on Sans features but even you could tell it was entirely forced. His eye sockets showing all of the concern and worry his smile was trying to hide. You probably looked absolutely horrid but you didn’t really care. It’s not like it mattered anyway.

You brought your hands up as if to sign something but stopped. All of your solemn thoughts swirling around in your head. A deep fear starting to prickle up the back of your spine until your face was fighting back with more tears. Sans let you take your time until you finally got the resolve to tell him.

“Sans...”

“Yeah, bud?”

“I’m scared..... God, I’m so scared.... I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to d-” Before you could finish, Sans pulled you into his chest, holding onto you tightly as if his life depended on it. You threw your arms around his boney form. Clutching his parka until your knuckles were white. Your emotions taking over again, you cried into him. Letting all your fears and anxieties out into the open.

Sans looked down at your sobbing, trembling form. No puns coming to him to lighten the mood. Not sure on what to do other than just being there for you. He rubbed small comforting circles into your back while closing his eyes.

“I’m scared to, kid.... I’m scared too....”


	21. Special Chapter War Edition pt 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a little more swearing than the normal but I think it's okay because I would be doing the exact same thing!

_Shiiiiiit._

Within seconds you had broken one of the many rules of surviving a horror movie or situation.... Never splitting up with the group. Now you were alone with a REAL killer robot and not the one that had stolen your heart. Good job, you. Scaring Sans was totally worth it... Okay, it still kind of was but now isn’t the time to be thinking like that.

Foxy tugged hard on your shirt, making you fall backward a couple of steps. You turned to face him, your shirt getting twisted up in the process, and a silent whimper left you. The once empty eyes of the fox animatronic were now lit up. One was flickering and making the decrepit contours on his face even more menacing than they were before. His mouth wide open and his sharp teeth looming towards you.

You grabbed just above where he had your shirt in his vice like grasp and tugged with all of your might. Maybe the parts in Foxy’s hand are bad or your shirt might rip. Then you would be free to get back to the security office. Free to get the fuck away from this guy. Desperately, you continued to tug. Yet, Foxy’s hold is solid and your shirt only managed to rip a small bit. 

Damn good craftsmanship.

Frantically, you looked around the room for something ANYTHING to be of use. Foxy tugged hard this time with his hooked arm raised high. When you moved back a bit, the flashlight on you hip caught your eyes, temporarily blinding you. Wait. The flashlight! Squinting as your eyes readjusted to the darkened room, you yanked the flashlight from your belt loop. Raising it to strike Foxy’s hand.

But you had the flashlight backwards and instead you threw the light directly into the animatronic’s eyes. It let out an audible mechanical shriek that had fear skyrocketing up your spine.

A pained silent scream escaped you as Foxy’s hook dug deep into your shoulder. In your temporarily blind state, you hadn’t noticed the animatronic’s arm swing down. You thrust the metal arm off of you as blood started to seep onto your clothes. Backing up, your feet slipped as they hit the edge of the raised platform with your body hitting hard on the floor. The sickening sound of cloth ripping as you had fell down with your full weight along with the flashlight falling from your grasp and skittering across away. 

Shaking your head to get rid of the jarring sensation, you ignored the small amount of blood pooling on the floor. You didn’t care. You were free. Scrambling up, despite your aching side, you dash out into the hallway while Foxy was momentarily stunned. Clapping your hand to your injured shoulder in an attempt to stop the blood flow, you start to head back towards the security office when you are forced to skid to a stop. 

The sound of heavy metal feet echoed down your silent hallway making your skin crawl. What now? Why couldn’t you just get back to the office? Actually why couldn’t you just go home? Slowly, a purple bunny animatronic stepped out of the office. It’s head slowly turning in your direction.

_Shit._

Go away, Bonnie.

No one likes you!

Biting back a silent bitter laugh, you turn on your heels and book it down the hallway. Trying to get as much distance as you can from the two terrifying animatronics. The hallway eventually opens up into a room that is lined with tables that held filthy tablecloths and scattered old party hats. This had to be the party room. The place where everyone would sit down and eat while their kids played. 

Foxy’s mechanical roar echoed down the hallway from where you had just been and you could hear the sound of heavy metal feet running in your direction. Since when could any of them run?!

Thinking fast, you dash to the back of the party room and dive under one of the tables. Backing up to the wall as you did. Your heart pounded wildly in your chest to the point that pained tears where threatening to fall. At this rate it wasn’t the animatronics that were going to kill you. It was going to be your heart.

You clapped the hand, that was staunching the blood flow, on your injured shoulder to your mouth in an attempt to make the sound of your heavy breathing nonexistent. Not really noticing the blood that you had just smeared on your face. The fast footsteps were now echoing in the room that you were currently in with slower ones following behind it. You watch as bare, metal, endoskelton feet run by from under the table cloth. A pair of purple costumed ones following a little bit later. 

They fade off into the distance but you stay where you are at. After an unsettling silence has descended on the pizzeria, you take a timid peek out from under your table cloth. There was no signs of anything else in the room except for you. Good. With the amount of sounds they made it wouldn’t be hard for you to notice if they were on your tail or not.

As nice as it sounded, you couldn’t stay where you were. The only barrier between you and the evil animatronics was a thin falling apart tablecloth. It was just a matter of time before one of them actually found you. Your only shot was to get back to the security office and hope that your friends were okay. You shook your head to rid yourself of the bad thoughts that started to emerge.

Sans, Mettaton, and Papyrus were monsters. They could handle a couple of haunted animatronics easy... Unless they were surprised. 

“OH, HELLO, BUNNY ROBOT! HOW ARE YOU THIS FINE NIGHT?”

Your body shuddered as you remembered the last words you heard from the cinnamon roll of a skeleton before being separated. You hoped that Sans and Mettaton had gotten to him in time. All you had to go off of was the fact that Bonnie had walked out of the security office. No magic affecting the animatronic whatsoever. Maybe they only go after humans? That would be a relief. However it didn’t make you feel any better.

Steeling yourself after giving yourself a few long moments to calm down, you peeked out from under the tablecloth again to see that the room is still empty and eerily silent. You crawled out from under the table, tiptoeing over to the hallway you had ran out of prior. Pressing against one of the walls by the archway, you looked into the hallway. The flashlight you dropped illuminating it making the hallway have a haunting glow. But it was empty. For the moment.

Clutching your chest in an attempt to calm it down a bit more, you straighten up and walk as quietly as you could towards the security office. Trying to make your footsteps as silent as possible. So far so good. The only issue was if one of the animatronics was waiting for you in the office. You sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case.

Just as you stepped into the light of the flashlight in Pirate’s Cove, a loud mechanical shriek had you silently screaming along with it. You turned your head towards the sound only to see Foxy’s decrepit mug charging at you from the curtains. How the hell had he gotten past you from the party room? Surely, you would have heard him run back!

Making the wise decision to think about it later, you charge down towards the office with Foxy hot on your heels. Your footfalls sent loud echoing slaps down the hallway just as you manage to throw yourself into the office. Spinning on your feet, you manage to hit the door button.

It closes almost immediately and the sickening sound of metal on metal resonates from the door as Foxy hits it face first. Even though it was a robot, you still cringed. There was no way that muzzle was going to look the same after that. 

Wanting to make the entire room secure, you hit the button for the door on the right side before plopping down in the empty desk chair. You looked around the room but it had already been confirmed. Mettaton, Sans, and Papyrus were gone. As to where? You had no idea. 

So after taking a moment to breathe, you looked up at the cameras to see if you couldn’t find your friends. Your eyes darted to the corner to look at the power only for them to go wide in shock. It was extremely low. There was no way that you had enough power to survive a few minutes let alone the full night. Wait... You don’t remember having to switch up the camera console to look at them. Had the thing been online this entire time? Now they were still on and both doors were now closed. There wasn’t enough power to keep this going. As fast as you could, you began flicking through the cameras in an attempt to find your friends before the power gave out. Noticing that the only animatronic that hadn’t left it’s position was Freddy.

The screen blinked out into a black abyss as the rest of the building fell into darkness and the doors burst open on either side. Which was weird. Weren’t most doors designed like this to stay closed? You hadn’t even had time to check 3 cameras before it had gone out. The familiar sound of Freddy’s music box started to echo down the hallway from the party room.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no.

Freddy hadn’t moved since this all began but now with him on the move... Everyone was on the loose. A feeling of dread seemed to wash over you. Now that the power was out... were they all headed to the security office? There was no way you could handle 4 animatronics by yourself.

You had to get out of here. NOW.

Not wanting to face Foxy, Bonnie, or the advancing Freddy, you head to the hallway on your right towards the kitchens. Trying to keep a quiet but brisk pace, you slow down when you hear the sounds of pots and pans being knocked around. With your darkness adjusted eyes, you timidly peeked into the kitchen only to dodge back by the wall.

Chica was in there. Her large yellow form knocking anything that was on the counters to the floor. Great. Using all the racket she was making to your advantage, you snuck by and headed towards the stage where they should all be.

Peering in from your position in the hallway, your suspicions are confirmed. It’s just as empty as the party room had been. Unlike the party room there wasn’t as many places to hide. It was designed so kids could sit in the audience and watch the animatronic show. But there was one spot.

A table sat off to the side of the stage covered in cobwebs and grime. You grabbed the cloth that had fallen to the floor. Making sure to have it so it was hanging off the table in the best way to hide you. As quietly as you could, you crawled under the table and settled your back against the wall. A heavy sigh escaping your lips.

What were you going to do? You were trapped in a restaurant with killer animatronics and for some reason your friends were gone. Had they gotten out? Or did something worse happen..? You shook your head vehemently. There was no way they were dead. Hurt maybe. But not dead. Yet there was so much dust here...... How would you know for sure?

You would have taken a better look around the security office if you had had the chance. Maybe they had left a note as to where they had went? Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like luck was on your side. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you tap the screen just so you could look at the time. The illuminated screen making your eyes squint.

2:20 am.

How the hell were you supposed to last until 6am?! A silent groan escaped you as you hunkered down into a more comfortable position. Your heart still hammering in your chest but with all that has happened you were just now able to truly acknowledge it. Closing your eyes, you focused on steadying your labored breathing in this moment of reprieve. Your free hand ripping the rest of the fabric from your shirt so you could press it to the bleeding wound on your shoulder. Was Foxy’s hook rusty? Regardless, if you got out of this alive.... You were going to be saying hello to a tetanus shot.

The fear and dread ebbed a bit to replaced with a slight tiredness as the adrenaline that was coursing in your veins subsided a little. Where was everyone? Surely you would have run into one of them by now? You opened your eyes. Tears pricking at the edges.

Please let them be okay.


	22. Chapter 17

“Maybe the ‘e’ should be extended at this part?” you signed to the air. Your eyes were closed so you could focus on the music as the song continued to fill the large room you were in.

“Hmmm... I don’t know.…” the soft voice of the timid ghost could barely be heard in the loudness of the music. You cracked an eye open and looked at Napstablook who was laying next to you on the stage. His eyes were looking up at the ceiling. “It could work...”

“Then let’s wait for it to come around again and add it in to see what you think.” Your gaze trailed back to the ceiling as your eyelids closed again letting out a silent sigh. At moments like this, you were glad that you were mute. Having no audio cues means you could do things that would normally make people worry about you go unnoticed. It combined with the loud music, that was currently playing, you doubted Napstablook would have caught it. Which was fortunate because you didn’t want him to think that you didn’t want to help him. You did but your mind was elsewhere.

To be honest, you didn’t know why you were even here. You weren’t exactly feeling motivated at the moment. The words that Dr. Chamberlain had said were still swirling around in your mind. A heavy feeling returned to settle on your heart again. Maybe you should have texted in today. Mettaton wouldn’t have minded. He’s been so wrapped up in his other projects you haven’t been able to sit down and discuss any new songs with him.

Speaking of Mettaton, how were you going to tell him? He just found out about your heart issues while on set in Germany. How was he going to handle this? How were YOU going to handle it for that matter? Before you could dwell on it to much, you heard the familiar click of heels on the stage heading towards where the two of you were laying.

“Darling, Napstablook! Doing the family tradition without me? I see... I have been replaced!” Your eyes were open and looking at a playfully dramatic Mettaton. He was holding his hands over his heart in mock hurt while looking downcast at his cousin.

Napstablook sat up looking abashed. “Oh... No... I’m sorry, Mettat-”

“Haha! Oh, sweetheart relax! I’m just messing with my favorite cousin. I think I’ll join you.” Mettaton moved to your other side so that the three of you were now sprawled out in a circle center stage. You watched him out of the corner of your eye. His legs were crossed and one of his feet was bobbing to the beat of the music. “Not bad, darling! Is this what the two of you have been working on?”

“Yeah... (y/n) has been helping me put lyrics to it...” Napstablook settled back down to stare at the ceiling. You closed your eyes again and nodded your head absentmindedly. 

“Oh? What have you got so far?” The two trailed off as they discussed the progress that you have made. Which wasn’t much.

Your heart fluttered in your chest as you listened to Mettaton speak, along with a pit of dread that formed in your stomach. This was bittersweet. You may have finally figured out your feelings for Mettaton but you might not live to ever be able to tell him. Should... Should you bring it up now? It’s not like you didn’t trust Napstablook. You were planning on telling him eventually too. He’s a good friend. How does one even bring a subject like this up? The only reason why Sans knows about it was because he had heard it straight from the doctor’s mouth. Other than that you weren’t sure if you would have even told him yet.

Feeling trapped and conflicted with all the emotions that were battling it out in your head, you continued to stare at the ceiling. It was the only way you could look. If you rolled on your side to the right, Napstablook would want to know what was wrong and if you rolled to the left, Mettaton would pick up on your distress immediately. So you stayed in the one position that you could manage to put off the inevitable as long as possible. There wasn’t really any good way to bring it up.… This sucks..

“Songbird...? Why are you crying?”

You sat up, quickly. Bringing a hand to your cheek, feeling the traitorous wet trail of tears. You hadn’t even noticed that you were crying. By now, Mettaton and Napstablook were both sitting up, looking at you with concerned expressions on their faces. 

Now was the time. They were worried. They knew something is up. It is the perfect opportunity to tell them about the ticking time bomb in your chest. Taking a deep breath, you turn to them ready to tell them everything but the moment your eyes land on Mettaton your resolve completely shatters.

“Excuse me... I need to go.” You signed as you hastily stood up and exited the stage.

“Songbird, wait!” Mettaton’s singsong voice called out to you now laced with worry.

But you were already out the door. Your legs moved on their own through the studio labyrinth. The tears now going at full speed. You couldn’t do it. You just couldn’t. Somehow telling him would just make it so you have truly acknowledged your imminent death and you aren’t even close to doing that. 

If you couldn’t accept it then how would they? Would Mettaton even keep you on at work after knowing that? Just knowing how many things that could send you into an attack here... You didn’t see why he would. Rubbing your face in your sleeve, you tried to wipe away all the bitter tears. Your legs continuing on their own set path out of the studio and into the city.

You just had to move. You just had to walk and calm down. Fresh air was good for the soul, right? A small silent bitter laugh shook your shoulders as you kept walking with no set destination. They led you through the winding streets and paved paths. Strangers walking by while in their own worlds. It was a good hour before your legs finally slowed down as you finally calmed down.

Rubbing the last of the tears away so your eyes were just red and puffy, you took in your surroundings to see where you were at. Your heart plummeted. Where the hell were you? None of the buildings and shops looked familiar. Silently growling, you kicked at the ground in frustration. You would get lost while having a mild panic attack combined with a meltdown.

A sign in front of you listed all of the nearby streets and establishments. One of them being a park. Maybe it was the park that was made to help integrate monster and human kids? It was worth a shot. Because, if it was, then you would kind of know where you were.

Willing your now tired legs to move, you followed the signs until the city buildings opened up to reveal large trees surrounding a grassy field. In the center was a brand new jungle gym, swing sets, slides... pretty much anything a kid would love to play on and they did. You wandered over to a bench that was a little distance away from the playground. It was facing the playground along with the grassy field that was separated by a couple of bushes. 

Monster and human children were all having a blast. Their joyful screams filling the air. You slumped onto the bench with a silent relieved sigh. Your legs screaming for a rest, grateful to be off of them for a bit. From your spot, you watched the kids play. A small smile returning to your face. If you were gonna get lost, why not a park? Your eyes wandered over to two children who were playing more to themselves.

They were running around in the grassy field playing what appeared to be tag. One was a yellow dinosaur monster that kind of reminded you of Alphys except he had sharper teeth and no arms. The other was a small human child with a mop of brown hair. You couldn’t tell if they were a boy or a girl from where you were at. But watching the two of them play so nicely warmed your heart. It was nice to see how far humans and monsters have come since their release.

Something moving in the nearby bushes catches your eye. You lean in and squint, trying to get a good look as to what it was. Your eyes grow wide when you notice that it is a man. He’s crouched between the bushes in a way so that only you could see from your position. The man hadn’t noticed your gaze and he was watching the two children play tag in the grass.

This wasn’t normal behavior, at all. You continued to watch him for a few more seconds before the creepiness vibe has you standing up and heading towards the kids. There was no way that the guardian of the children was to far away but you weren’t going to give that guy the chance. If he wanted to do something to those kids all he would need is a second. So acting like you know the two children, you paste a bright friendly smile on your face, making sure to raise your hand and wave at them as you approach.

They both stop running and turn their attention to you. Unsure of what to make of you, at first. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you start typing a message for the kids to read once you get close enough.

You kneel down to their level and hold it out for them to read:

**Hiya! Sorry for interrupting but there is a rather creepy guy watching you from the bushes over there. Don’t look over directly because that might alert him. Just pretend I’m your babysitter or something. Anyway... Hello, I’m (y/n).**

While the kids read the text, you were watching the man out of the corner of your eye. He was still there but now he looked a lot more hesitant. You gave the kids a big smile as the monster one finished reading first.

“Howdy, (y/n). They call me MK! And this is my best friend, Frisk.” The little yellow monster spoke to you in kind of a scratchy voice. The human next to him nodded their head giving you a bright smile in return.

Frisk turned to their friend and started signing. “Tell them I said ‘thank you’.”

Your hands flew up immediately once your phone was back in your pocket. “You are very welcome.”

“You know sign language?!” MK spoke with an awestruck look in his eyes. Frisk appeared to be momentarily stunned that you actually knew ASL. But that didn’t last long.

“That I do.” You puffed out your chest like Papyrus would. “And proud of it.”

“Would you like to play with us for a bit?” Frisk asked with the question showing on their face.

“How could I say no to that? Just... stick close okay?” You glance back at the bush and the man still remains. Watching to see if you will walk off or not. They both nod happily.

Without a moment to spare, MK lightly nudges you with his forehead blaring “Tag! You’re it!”. Before racing off with Frisk. Your legs were screaming for a rest but you weren’t about to be beat by a couple of kids. So you chased them around the field while making sure they don’t get to far away from the playground yet not to close to the bushes. Eventually, the two children noticed your fatigue and slowed down to make it easier for you. 

However, you had to skid to a stop when your phone went off. It began playing Not Just A Robot meaning it was Mettaton who was messaging you. The feeling of dread came back in full force as you opened your phone to see what his text said.

**Mettaton 2:40pm**

**Songbird, are you alright? You left in such a hurry and I didn’t want to pressure you into talking about something when you aren’t ready. But I asked Papyrus if you had gotten home safely and he said that you never came back.**

**I won’t ask why but I will ask... Where are you?**

 

Guilt had your stomach all twisted up on the inside. Great. Now he’s probably even more worried than he previously was. You drop into the grass so that you were sitting with your legs crossed and your eyes on your phone. Why hadn’t you been able to tell him earlier? He deserved to know. It’s obvious that he cared about you. Maybe not to the same degree that you do for him but he cared nonetheless. Should you just text him about it?

As your mind scrambled to decide on whether to tell him or not, a small hand rests on your shoulder, pulling you out of your mental debate. You look up and Frisk is standing in front of you with a concerned look on their face. “Is there something wrong?” they signed to you once they had your attention.

Great. Now you had a kid you just met worried about you too... You put on a brave face but it falters when you see the determination in their facial features. There was no way you were going to be able to weasel your way out of this one. You just knew. Instead of saying anything, you flip the phone over and show the child the text. Their eyebrows shooting up in surprise when they read it.

“You know Mettaton?”

“Yeah... I won that song contest that he announced several months ago. I’ve been working closely with him ever since.” You signed up to them after laying your phone in the grass beside you.

A bright smile returned to their face as they clicked something together in their head. “So you’re Songbird?”

This had you looking at the child confused. How did this kid know Mettaton’s pet name for you? Wait, MK had said that their name was Frisk.… No way. “You’re the monster ambassador I’ve heard so much about, aren’t you?”

They nodded their head, happy that you knew who they were. You blinked several times. Their ambassador was a kid. How had this child managed to get monsters equal rights so quickly? Most adult lawyers couldn’t even win a court case let alone get rights for an entire civilization of people. 

The smile leaves their face once the jovial part of the conversation began to fade away. “He sounds worried about you. Why did you run away from him?” they signed to you with their eyebrows raising in surprise as a silent bitter laugh left you.

“If someone asked me if I was going to tell my life story to a kid I’ve barely met today... I would have said that they had to be kidding around with me. Why am I even considering this?” you ran your hands through your hair in an attempt to collect yourself. If it wasn’t for that determined look in their eyes you doubted that you would be even considering it. Then again maybe telling a total stranger could help. Even if the total stranger is a kid. It was obvious that they wanted to listen.

Frisk smiled a little bit at the pun before moving to sit in front of you, patiently waiting for you to begin. You let out a silent sigh before closing your eyes and signing away. “Well.. I’m mute. If you haven’t guessed already do to the fact that I know ASL and that my laugh is completely silent. Whereas you are selectively mute, I’m assuming? Considering I heard you laughing as we played. Nothing wrong with that. It was just an observation. But that isn’t the only thing that is... Physically wrong with me.”

You let one of your hands drop to your heart while the other continued your explanation. “Ever since I was born... To put it simply, I’ve had a weak heart. Throughout my life, I’ve had the unfortunate time of having random attacks. Almost all are caused by surprise, fear, or a great amount of stress... with most being rather mild. All they would do is just tire me out with only a couple severe ones putting my life in danger... But that changed recently. You heard about Mettaton going to Germany for a few months right?”

Frisk nodded with a frown on their face. “Yeah, Mettaton invited me to go but mom wouldn’t let me because I still had school to attend.” The small pout they had on their face brought a small smile to your lips.

“So you are good friends with him?” you asked and the child nodded again. The smile was back. “Well... I don’t know what he told you about the trip but there was... An accident. Long story short, I had pretty bad attack. So bad that Mettaton and Sans were worried that I would have died before help arrived.” You held up a hand to stop Frisk from signing a response. “Hold on... I’m not done yet.” They stopped signing but the pure look of concern was still etched on their features.

“I got through it fine and the rest of the Germany trip was uneventful. Even went to a doctor and he gave me the okay to continue with life. It wasn’t until we all got back that things started to change. Things that hadn’t normally triggered attacks did. They weren’t big but they were becoming more frequent.” You paused as you shifted uncomfortably in your spot. “I didn’t pay it any mind because I had a regular check up coming up for it anyway. Sans found out about it and took me there.” the child gave you a confused look at that until you elaborated.

“He teleported me.”

They nodded their head then gave you an excited knowing smile. If they knew Mettaton then they probably knew Sans too. It would be weird if they didn’t considering how close all of the monsters were. Anyway you continued on “So I was put through a gauntlet of tests to make sure everything was in working order. To make sure everything is fine.” Fear started to prickle up your spine as you neared the part that you really didn’t want to tell. “But everything wasn’t fine...”

Putting on a somber smile, you let your hands tell the end of your story despite how they began to tremble. “If I have another big attack I more than likely won’t survive it.”

Shock spread across Frisk’s face at that. They leaned forward and placed a reassuring hand on your knee. “When did you find out about it?”

“Yesterday. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it... While at work, I started crying and Mettaton became worried. I couldn’t stay! So I just up and left. Now here I am.” You gestured to the large park that the three of you were in. MK was chasing a butterfly a little ways away. 

“Have you told Mettaton about it?”

You shook your head dejectedly. “No... I tried but.. Even now if I tell him it feels like I’m coming to terms with it. But I’m not! Far from it! I mean I told you but its not the same feeling y’know?... I don’t even know how I would start-”

They caught your hands to stop your rambling. Once you were looking at them with tearful eyes they began to sign. “You need to tell him.”

“I know I need to tell him. Or else he’ll probably be mad.… He’s my boss afterall-”

“No.” Frisk cut you off again. “Not because he is your boss. But because he cares about you. A lot.”

That stopped you dead but you didn’t ponder on it at the moment. You hung your head with a defeated look on your face. “Fine.…” You picked up your phone from where it had been resting in the grass. “Mind helping me out...?” they nodded their head and moved so that they were now sitting next to you.

Together, you wrote a text to Mettaton telling him where you were. Frisk even took your phone to take a selfie with you and sent it to him. It wasn’t long until you got a confirmation text back from him saying that he would be there in a few minutes to pick you up. After that, Frisk gave you pointers and a pep talk in how to bring it up to the robot.

Once they are done, they go get MK and you lead them back over to the swings. Making sure to avoid the bushes but the man that was previously in them was gone. Good. You continue to play with the two children until a familiar limousine pulls into the parking lot and a certain robot idol heads over to where you 3 are playing.

“Frisk, darling! It’s been ages!” The flamboyant robot caught the human child mid swing and pulled them into an endearing hug. They squeal in delight. He then puts Frisk down and turns his attention to you. At this point, your shoes have suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world. You rubbed your arm absently, nervous under his gaze. Just waiting to be yelled at for leaving out of the blue.

Instead, he surprises you by kneeling down and pulling you into a tight hug. Your head resting against his shoulder pad. You blink a few times before hugging him back awkwardly. A small blush forming on your cheeks regardless of the turmoil you felt inside. “Songbird, you had me so worried! You should at least tell someone where you are going when something like this happens.”

You pulled out of the hug so that you could talk to him. “Sorry... But it’s kind of hard to tell someone where you are going if you don’t know where that is.”

“So you are saying that you got lost?” Mettaton straightened back up. The slightly angry but concerned expression still on his face. “Sweetheart, you shouldn’t do things like tha-” He stops abruptly when Frisk catches one of his gloved hands and tugs on it insistently.

“Please don’t be mad at her.” The human child signed quickly. They stood in front of you as if to try and shield you. “She... She had her reasons.”

“Mettaton... I... I need to tell you something.” you managed to sign but avoided looking the robot in the eye. Frisk looking at you like they were a proud parent. Which was weird. “But... Can we go back to the resort?”

His features softened a bit at Frisk and your words. “Of course, beautiful. But what about Frisk here?”

“Oh, Mom is sitting over there.” They pointed over to where the sandbox was. A large female goat like monster was sitting there talking to a couple of other mothers. You gave a smile at that.

“Alrighty then, let’s get going, sweetheart.” The robot picked Frisk and MK up first and carried them over to the goat woman. She laughed at the idol carrying the two children before she thanked him. After a brief discussion, she gave you a wave as Mettaton returned to your side to lead you to the limo.

This time you didn’t let Mettaton have the chance to open the door for you. Instead, you opened it and slid inside. Your body sinking into the comfortable cushions grateful to finally have a time to rest. The robot idol slides in next to you and closes the door. Snapping his fingers, the driver pulls out of the parking lot and heads back towards the resort. 

It goes by in silence until you finally get up the nerve to sign something. “I’m sorry, Mettaton.”

“For what, darling?” Mettaton seemed to relax a bit now that you were talking to him.

“For just... Leaving like that. Are... Are you mad?”

“Yes. But not at you.” He stated quickly before your heart could sink any lower than it already had. “I’m more mad about the fact that you don’t want to talk to me about it. Noted I understand. Some things are hard to discuss.”

“That’s going to change.” You sign one last time just as the limo pulls in front of the resort. Mettaton steps out and offers his hand out to you. A true gentleman through and through. You take it and follow behind him as he leads you inside to the elevators and eventually up to his penthouse.

With a nervous sigh, you sink into the couch that you have sat in several times prior. Mettaton waltzed into the kitchen only to emerge a few moments later with two mugs of hot cocoa. “So what did you want to talk about, songbird?” He asked as he set down a mug on the table in front of you.

Okay. It was now or never. Don’t let all these bad and negative emotions run your life. You have to tell him. With a deep breath, you turned to Mettaton. Arms raised and ready to go.

“I love you.”

Mettaton drops his mug and it shatters into a mess of glass and liquid goodness. Your eyes grow wide and a blush takes over your face as you realized what you had just done. No. NO NO NO NO. That is NOT what you had wanted to say to him. Oh good God. What of you done?

“ I-I mean, oh God, you see I went to the doctors the other da-” your hands were stopped by the gentle gloved one of Mettaton’s. You blanked completely flustered.

“I... love you too, Songbird.” Mettaton lifted your chin so that you were looking him in the eye. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against yours.

You froze as your heart did back flips in your chest. He was kissing you. Mettaton was kissing you and it wasn’t because Undyne instigated it this time. He had already taken your first kiss on that game show. Unbeknownst to him but still. After getting over the initial shock, you relaxed a little and returned it. Earning you a pleasant hum from the robot.

Eventually, he pulls away leaving you in your cherry faced state. A big smile was on Mettaton’s face along with a small blush. You stared at each other in a slight awkward silence until you shook your head to bring yourself back to earth. Were you in that much denial in your imminent demise that you had to distract away from the topic? Noted this had turned out better than you had hoped.

“There is something else I need to tell you...” The happiness you had from the kiss quickly fading away.

He cocked his head at you in curiosity. “I did read something about a doctor before I cut you off.”

“Yeah..” Your hands began to tremble a little bit. “Mettaton...?”

“What is it, Songbird?” his concern showing on his face again.

Tears started to trail down your cheeks before you managed to look up at him.

“I don’t want to die.”


	23. Special Chapter War Edition pt 4

Your heart’s unforgiving pace had finally subsided a bit. The wound on your shoulder from Foxy’s hook seems to have finally stopped bleeding. At least, you think so. It was rather dark under the table and you didn’t want to attract attention to yourself by turning on your phone. The ripped part of your shirt wouldn’t be a good indicator due to how soaked it had gotten. You wished that the fabric piece was a little longer. Then you could just tie it in place and wouldn’t have to worry about holding it there.

A silent sigh left your lips before you focused on your breathing again. The pounding in your chest hurt. A lot. Several times, since you had gotten under the table, dark spots had popped into your vision as your body threatened to pass out but you didn’t let it. You couldn’t. There was no telling what could happen to you if you passed out and one of the animatronics found you. More than likely you would end up making the rumor about them shoving people into suits come true.

So you had done everything that would bring you out of the tired slump that your body was in. Pinched your cheeks, light slaps, anything that would jar you out of the stupor so you could keep your whits about you... that also didn’t make to much noise. 

It has been a long while since you have heard the sounds of animatronic footsteps or anything else for that matter. There were some weird noises earlier but you couldn’t make them out. Where the hell were Mettaton, Sans, and Papyrus? There was no way that they could be dead. It just wasn’t possible! Still... This place wasn’t exactly big. You had easily just lapped the place if you went into the party room that was connected to where you were. How could you miss two skeletons and a talking robot?

Okay, that last one wasn’t the best description. With Mettaton in here there was at least 5 talking robots in the building. How could you miss the fabulous talking robot?

Much better.

A small smile formed on your face as your internal banter calmed you down some more. But the anxiety that was flowing freely through you didn’t let up. This place had been scary before it was descended into darkness. Now it was downright creepy. With the way everything was just abandoned... How the animatronics have complete free roam... You shuddered. 

Just how many people actually disappeared doing this test of courage? Before going you should have probably looked into it. There was no way in hell that these animatronics decided to become haunted just for you unless.… Alphys? Maybe?

No, she wouldn’t do that. Undyne probably would but not Alphys. At most she would have them moving not outright attacking you. Undyne and Alphys knew about your predicament. They didn’t want to actually accidentally kill you. At least, you hoped they didn’t.

You shook your head with your smile getting bigger. No, they probably just got the generators running again for a genuine experience. After all, the doors had been locked and all windows are miraculously still in place. You all had gotten inside with Sans teleport abilities. There was no way that Undyne and Alphys were inside previously. Once they hear about what happened, you wouldn’t be surprised if Undyne tore the locked doors down and ripped those robots limb from limb. It’s just how she rolled.

Imagining the vigilante justice that Undyne would bring to those rogue robots had you silently giggling to yourself. No animatronic would get out alive. With those silly thoughts, your heart finally settled down into a normal pace. Finally. You had been settled under this table for a rather long time. The silence becoming to good to be true. Curling into yourself, you used your body as a shield to block the light of your phone when you took it out and tapped it to check the time.

3:00 am.

Wow. You have officially been sitting under this table for 40 minutes. Maybe the tables were the true way of surviving in this decrepit place and not waiting in the one spot where they expected you to be. That was unless they could sense your presence. Could they sense souls? You knew that Papyrus and Sans could. Mettaton could as well if he tried hard enough. He can’t see them unless pulled out though.

Were human souls the same? You pondered this as your eyes readjusted to the darkness, trying to blink out the rectangular glare in your vision that had been caused by your phone. Actually, were these animatronics really haunted? Maybe they were just acting on old programming? Only people who worked here at night would know how they acted and you doubted that if they acted this way that people would stick around for long. Let alone talk about it. Those were all possibilities. It wasn’t like you were going to actually find the answers. What happened here will always remain a mystery except for the people involved.

Carefully, you slide your phone back into your pocket and let out a somber sigh. Despite how comfy you had gotten under this dusty table, you couldn’t stay here all night. You had to find your friends. It wasn’t like you were any immediate danger anymore. You hadn’t heard the animatronics in a long while and your heart had resumed its normal pace. Besides if worse came to worse you could hide under a table in the party room again. There was a less chance of them finding you in there.

Shuffling around so that you were ready to spring out just in case, you lifted the table cloth only for it to tumble to the floor in a heap. The thing must have been barely staying in place the entire time you were under there. That was pretty lucky.

A loud metallic thump followed by another had you looking up from your heap of a table cloth to the stage. There was no way in hell... There was no way.… NO WAY!

Heading towards your position under the table from center stage was none other than the leader of the animatronic gang in all his decomposing glory. Freddy. 

Your face went whiter than the cloth that had fallen to the floor as your heart picked up its painful beating again. With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you stumble to crawl out from under your hiding spot. Your shoes squeaking from the sheer amount of pressure you were putting into each movement. 

But you weren’t fast enough.

Freddy’s heavy metal hand caught your ankle and he dragged you out with you kicking and silently screaming in terror. He may have you in his metal clutches but you weren’t going to make it easy for him. 

The bear animatronic headed into the party room while dragging you behind him. Each chance you got, you tried grabbing hold of table legs, chairs, anything to give yourself a chance to escape. However each time, he would give a powerful tug on your leg that made it feel like he was going to rip it off and you had let go with a silent cry of despair and pain.

As he took you to your final destination your mind was reeling. How? Just HOW?! You hadn’t heard any footsteps walk back into that room. There was no way that you wouldn’t have heard it! Not to mention his music box might as well be playing your funeral dirge. How could you have missed that? Did it just start playing when you accidentally revealed yourself? You were never going to be able to not have a panic attack when hearing this song again. That was if you lived.

Was there a secret passageway to the stage that you didn’t know about? No, because you would have heard him walk back to his position on stage. You were flummoxed. How had he gotten back to the stage without alerting you?

He continued to drag you through the party room to a new room that you had only seen on the security cameras in the office. You glanced up in fear and dread. Why.… Why had he dragged you all the way to the spare parts room? What was the point of this?

Your eyes surveyed the room quickly to see if you could find anything useful to escape the animatronic’s clutches. But anything of use was well out of reach. Eventually, your eyes settled on the rather large golden Freddy costume that was propped up on the table. It’s back was wide open revealing all of the wires and mechanisms that made the animatronic tick. Wait, this wasn’t the normal Freddy. What was this one? You had never seen him before.

Freddy turned around and dropped your ankle to pick you up by your waist. You flailed in the animatronic’s arms. Hitting the rusting metal in vain attempts to break free from his iron grasp. What the hell was Freddy trying to do? He was pushing you towards something and you twisted back into your original position to see what he was doing.

This guy was going to shove you into that large Freddy suit.

So even the suit shoving thing was true?!

Thrusting your arms out to the side panels of the suit, you pushed back against the force that Freddy was putting on your body. Even bringing your legs up so that you can push back with them as well. The animatronic kept at it and even managed to push you further in. You could feel wires and metal things begin poking into your chest and stomach. 

Suddenly the lights flickered back on and the dark parts room was lit up once again. What the hell? Due to the moment of distraction, you were pushed a little farther into the suit. A vile putrid smell emanating from it. Were you not the first person to be forcefully shoved into this thing? Internally gagging at that thought, you twisted your head to the side so that your face was as far from the sharp rusty mechanics as possible. Looking back at Freddy with terrified eyes. Your arms and legs shaking to maintain their positions as Freddy continued to push while the wound on your shoulder reopened due to the strained use of the muscles. Several pops rang out from your lower back from where his hands were applying more and more pressure. At this rate, he was going to break your back.

This isn’t right. There was no way in hell you were going to let it end this way but the odds were drastically stacked against you. Your limbs were no match for Freddy’s. Even if they are old and rusted, he had more power than you.

Just as your arms were about to give out, a bright whir of blue flew past your back. The release from the pushing pressure was instantaneous as you fell to the ground with a loud thud. You glance up and back at Freddy with wide eyes. His threatening figure looming over you.

A hot pink boot filled your vision as it kicked out sending the bear animatronic flying over the table and into the wall on the opposite side. You flinched at the horrid sound of loud metal crashing into the wall, clapping your hands over your ears. Several blue bones appeared in front of you, like a shield. Each one directed at Freddy who was now trying to stand back up. You glanced back at your saviors with tears welling up in your eyes. 

Standing in the doorway was a rather pissed off Sans. His left eye lit up and his arm outstretched with a blue aura surrounding his hand. Advancing on the bear animatronic was the one robot you had been praying to see since everything went to hell. Mettaton stepped in between you and Freddy flanked by a large wall of bones. His eyes lit up in a dangerous red.

Tears started trailing down your cheeks as you forgot your own predicament due to the wave of relief that seemed to overwhelm your entire being. Mettaton and Sans were here.

They were okay... 

They were safe.

Now so were you.


	24. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter is shorter there is an Author Q&A at the bottom!

Mettaton leaned back against the couch with his eyes downcast. You were still sitting up straight with your hands now resting in your lap. There was nothing more to be said. You had just finished relaying the information that Dr. Chamberlain said to you just a day prior. The news that turned your world upside down. So you watched as the robot idol let the news sink in. To be honest, it was still sinking in for you.

A stony silence fell across the apartment as the sun slowly drifted beyond the horizon of the city. Casting the front room of the penthouse in a beautiful array of oranges, red, and yellows. Mettaton’s face is still downcast making the dread and anxiety you had already escalate. Your eyes wandered down to your idle hands. What was going on in his mind? You had just told him how you felt only to learn that he felt the same way... Then dropped the huge bomb of your near demise on him. What was he going to do? What were you going to do? 

After all, the only thing you could do was wait. You could end up getting a donor but it was highly unlikely and it wasn’t like you could afford an artificial heart. If your body didn’t reject it. God, why doesn’t he say something? He’s Mettaton! He’s always got something to say whether it’s good or bad! 

Your body began to tremble with all your emotions swirling around in turmoil. Bringing your hands up, you wipe away a few stray tears and sniffle a little. It doesn’t take long for all your emotions to overwhelm you and you are full on crying. With violent silent sobs shaking your entire being, you curl into yourself feeling small.

All you wanted to do was hear him speak in his sultry voice and tell you that everything was going to be okay, even though you knew that it wasn’t going to be. Just hearing him would make everything okay. All he had to do was say one little thing. Just one thing. That’s it. Anything to break this horrid silence!

Why wasn’t he saying anything!?

Not being able to stand the silence anymore, you stood up a little to quickly. Your leg bumping the table hard making the hot chocolate that Mettaton had made for your tip over and spill it’s contents across the glass top table. Of course. You knelt down on your knees beside the table. Picking up the knocked over mug as you did. Now Mettaton’s living room was a mess just like you.

A tender hand reached out and gently clasped your arm, pulling you up from your kneeling position into the waiting arms of the robot idol. He pulled you into his lap on the couch with your head finding its way into the crook of his neck. You cried.

Unrelenting tears torrented down your cheeks while your body shook against Mettaton’s metallic form. His arms were wrapped around you tightly as if you would fade away into dust if he let you go and at the moment you felt like you would. One of his hands found its way up your back to trail his fingers through your hair soothingly. He gently nuzzled his cheek against your forehead.

“Shhh.…” Mettaton’s calming voice finally broke the awful silence. His fingers continued to run soothingly through your hair as the other rubbed small comforting circles in your back. That’s all he said but that was all that was needed. He was there for you and that was all that mattered.

Silent whimpers still left you, even after your body could no longer make anymore tears. Your body pressed against the harsh contours of his with your full weight but it wasn’t uncomfortable. By now the sun had set and a light darkness had settled in the room. The city lights lit up against the night sky beyond the large windows. They cast pleasant shadows on Mettaton’s body. The metal reflecting the lights of the city beautifully.

Soon you were nothing more than a sniveling mess. To tired to sob but not ready to stop. Mettaton gingerly moved your body so that he was holding you in one arm while the other reached up to wipe away the few stray tears that you body had managed to squeeze out. “Songbird...?” his voice was soft as he said it. When you just hid into his neck further, he turned it up a bit. “(y/n)?”

You shook your head against his throat, refusing to look at him. Normally, when he said your name it was important but you didn’t care. You just wanted to stay like this with your body curled up in Mettaton’s protective arms. Not having to face reality. Even if it is just for a little bit.

When calling your name failed to get your attention, his free hand came up to gently turn your face towards his. Not forcing it. His movements just a suggestion. With a heavy silent sigh that seemed to express all air from your body, you begrudgingly allowed his hand to move it until you faced him.

“Feeling better, sweetheart?” his face composed in a serene smile. A smile you weren’t sure if you deserved, at the moment.

“I feel dead.” you signed to him. Your arm dropping heavily back to it’s previous position after signing it due to the exhaustion that now was taking over you.

“Funny. You don’t look like a dead girl.” Mettaton stated with a small chuckle. “Your cheeks are nice and red.” His hand lightly caressed your jawline as he said it. “You have a lovely pulse.” The hand had slid from your jaw down your neck. Following a linear path from your shoulder down to your wrist. His elegant hand encircled it with two fingers at the base to feel your pulse. “And your heart is beating beautifully.” At this, the hand that was on the small of your back pushed you up as he leaned his head forward so that he could press the side of his face against your chest to listen to your heart beat. Careful not to touch anything that would make you uncomfortable. A small blush formed on your already flushed cheeks. He only remained there a moment before leaning back up into his original position. “Sounds to me like you are very much alive.”

“Only until I have another attack.” Your hand stated to him once you retrieved it from his gentle grasp.

Mettaton’s smile turned into an amused one as he gently nuzzled your forehead with his cheek again. Making you give him a confused expression at his actions. You were going to die. Quite possibly soon. Why was he giving you a look like that?

His once again free hand, came up to gently caress your cheek and you unconsciously moved into his soothing touch. “Oh, honey. Time runs out for all of us eventually but do you honestly think that I’m gonna let death take you now that I have you for my own?”

Your look into his eyes and see the sheer look of determination that was glowing within them. He truly believed that he could do something about it. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not exactly sure yet but I’ll come up with something. I always do. I’m the fabulous Mettaton, after all.” Finally you reward him with the smile that he had been trying to get out of you since you calmed down a bit. This robot was to much.

Small silent giggles shake your shoulders. “That you are. I can’t believe I had the nerve to doubt you.” You try to look sarcastic but it doesn’t quite reach your face.

He kisses your forehead in response. “Well! I will always make sure to reel you back in.” 

Your smile gets wider. “I bet you will. I’m quite the _catch_.”

“There it is.” Mettaton said with a half-hearted groan. Despite your pun, he had a broad smile on his face. “I was waiting for the punster to come out in you.”

“But you set me up for it. I couldn’t pass up that oppor- _TUNA_ -ity.”

“Now now, darling. That _COD_ have been better.” The robot idol had a rather smug look on his face as your eyes grow wide. A small feeling of pride and surprise surfacing through your exhaustion.

“You just said a pun.”

“That I did.”

“On purpose.”

“Correct again, beautiful.”

“I’m so proud of you.” your hand wiped a fake tear from your eye after you signed it. Making it as overly dramatic as you could in your tired state. Earning you a playful nuzzle from Mettaton.

“If I had known that I could make you this happy with just a pun.. A fish one at that. I would have said one a while ago.” Mettaton chuckled softly to himself. The room you were both in now only illuminated by the city lights.

“What can I say. I’m easily amused.” You gave him an unashamed shrug. “But if you know any other good ones.… Let _minnow_.” The groan this elicits has you hiding your face in his chest plate as silent giggles shook you. You wince a couple of times. Your stomach hurting a bit from the crying previously and the giggles.

As you wind down on your latest giggle fit, a long yawn escapes your lips. Prompting Mettaton to stand up while carrying you easily in one arm. “Okay, time for the pretty human to go to bed. You had a rough day.”

That’s putting it mildly. “But the pretty human isn’t tired.” You signed to him with a traitorous yawn escaping immediately after.

“Your hands say one thing but your mouth says another.” He states while playfully pressing a finger to your lips.

“Fine. Put me down and I’ll head to my room.”

Mettaton just blinks at you for a moment. “What are you saying, Songbird? After all that? I’m not leaving you alone tonight.”

“Then I’ll take the couc-”

“I will read nothing of the sort.” Mettaton started walking to where you assumed was the master bedroom. “You will take the bed and I will simply sleep on the floor. I would never have a lady sleep on the couch!”

“But isn’t the floor uncomfortable?” You ask while Mettaton approaches the rather large plush bed. With a grand flourish, he yanks the pink and black covers back and gently rests you on it.

“Sweetheart, I’m a ghost in a robot body. The floor won’t hurt me.” He shakes his head at you as he goes about tucking you in.

You turn on your side to look at him while he plugs himself in to the power outlet next to the bed. “I don’t know... Sometimes the floor can suddenly turn into lava.”

He just playfully rolls his eye at you before a devious look replaces his amused one. “Then I guess I’ll have to jump in bed with you if that happens.” His voice turned low and sultry as he said it. Leaning towards you for the full effect.

Your blush came back in full force when he said it. His laughter ringing out in the quiet bedroom. There was no way that he would do something like that without your consent. Even though you knew this, it didn’t make your blush go away. You were hoping to tease him but he had caught on to your little game. Then he turned it around on you and he had won. Mettaton knew it, too.

In an attempt to escape into the covers, you signed him good night and rolled over so that your back was facing him. Hiking the blanket way above your head to hide your blushing face. “Good night, Songbird~” he called and all you heard after was some shuffling noises as he got comfortable on the floor.

Silence descended upon the room but this time it was nice. Not unbearable. You snuggled into the comfortable blankets. The bed molding itself to your body with it’s memory foam. Your body felt heavy from the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day. You heard one last thing before you completely passed out.

“Don’t worry, my little Songbird... I won’t let you fly away.”

 

**Author Q &A! **

**Do you set yourself deadlines? Requested by: Jessica**

Yes, I do! I try to have the main chapter done before the weekend and then I write the special one if I have time. (I can’t believe how long that little side story has gotten x.x) Normally, I would write Legend Of The Crow unless a special chapter comes up. But once I get some more done on it, that one will be updating regularly too. I’ll let you all know. If you haven’t already go a head and check out the prelude.

**Do you listen to music when writing? Requested by: Mettaton and YourFutureSelf**

Absolutely! When I need to get into a mindset when writing a scene I often listen to music that reflects that type of mood. Like when its something sad I listen to this (insert url for piano song here). Or I listen to Youtube vids. I listened to Markiplier’s FNAF vids while writing all of the special FNAF cross over chapters. His screams of anguish fueled me :D

**What is the hardest character to write? Requested by: Clockwork**

I would have to say... Sans. Mainly because I have to work his dialog around all the puns. I don’t want to use to many of the same ones over and over. But then again that’s half the fun.

**What is the hardest part of writing? Requested by: GoldenheartWolf**

Well it depends but it would have to be figuring out where I want the story to go. Because once it’s out... Then its out! When I started planning this story, it took me about 2 weeks before I could settle on what I wanted and even then its changed. Once that’s out of the way, its just a matter of filling in the blanks.

**What is your favorite scene you have ever written? Requested by: Aphmeowi and Error is Bae**

It’s a tie between Undyne tackling a mime and Mettaton getting heckled by Undyne on his quiz show. Seriously. I had the biggest grin as I wrote the both of them.

**What is your favorite line you have ever written? Requested by: DarkKnight**

“Darling, My eyelashes are longer than your dick.” Best sassy comeback ever. I use it all the time.

**Would you write a sequel for The Call Of A Mute Heart? Requested by: Rebecca-Chan**

Um... I’m not sure actually. It all depends on how I end it and I haven’t exactly figured how I’m going about it yet. Even though I have chapters laid out I’ve diverted from them several times and the story has changed from my original expectations. Which isn’t a bad thing. But it all depends on how I finally end it. So... Maybe??

**How many unfinished ideas/stories are you working with at the same time? Requested by: T.M.U.C**

Currently... I’m working on 5-6 different ideas at once. That is including the special fnaf chapters as a separate entity though.

**Writing advice? Requested by: Chaos Heart**

Write what you love and practice! There is no such thing as a perfect writing style. You just have to go with how you write but grammar is key! Noted, I need to go back and fix things.. A LOT of things. Yet there are some things that I have no control over. Like the weird spacing and no indents. That’s because I write offline in kingsoft writer. Not Quotev. So during the transition it takes away the indents and adds the spaces. I don’t know why but it does. And when I try to edit it... Instead of just making room it’ll delete over what I already had done and I’m not rewriting a 4000 word chapter again. So I think you will all live without lol. 

But when writing... Please don’t post a wall of text! Make sure to separate paragraphs so people know something new is going on. When it runs together it can be hard to read. Also don’t have multiple people talking in the same paragraph. It can get confusing as to who is talking and it is hard to follow. 

**For Example:**

I step forward to give advice with Mettaton. “Alright, everyone listen up! I’m about to teach you all of the things!” “That’s right sweeties! We’re going to help you out.” “I got this. You don’t need to worry about it.” “But I want to help!” “Knowing how you are posing right now... It’ll be more distracting.” “But I’m here for he visual learners~” “Mettaton, please...”

It’s even worse when you have 3 or more people talking in the same paragraph. It has to be one of my biggest pet peeves x.x

Also! Make sure you have a plan when writing a story. I have the major plot points that I want to happen in each chapter planned out. Then all I have to do is fill in the rest to get from point to point. This ensures that you won’t run out of ideas and have a basis of what you want out of the story.

Noted writing on a whim can be good. That’s how Legend of the Crow and The Call Of A Mute Heart started. But I had to sit down and figure out what I wanted because I wanted to take it a step further. If I didn’t have a plan... I probably wouldn't be still writing it.

One last tid bit... Edit! Now I, on average,... Edit a chapter around 4-5 times before I post it and even then they still have issues. If you are having problems seeing the errors then put it down and come back in a few days. The mind is amazing because it’ll fill in what you want to see automatically. When you put it down for a few days it allows the mind to reset and you can look at it with fresh eyes. Also read your story out loud. If it sounds weird when you read it out loud then it’ll sound weird when others read it.


	25. Special Chapter War Edition pt 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more and this side story is over!

“Don’t worry about demonic Winnie The Pooh here, Metta. Grab kiddo and get her back to the office!” Sans’s voice was dangerously low from his normal deep speech pattern. Setting you on edge. Your eyes bounced between the two monsters. Not sure what to do. Also.. Where was Paps?

Mettaton stared down Freddy a few seconds before he tsked in anger. He backed up without removing his gaze from the animatronic until a new wall of bones replaced the hole from where he had stood. Once it was, he was kneeling down next to you. “Come on, Songbird we need to go-” He stopped.

Curious as to why, you followed his gaze to the Freddy arm that was still attached to your waist in it’s vice like grip. It’s fingers tangled in the mangled fabric of your shirt. You touched your side just above the arm and flinched as pain shot through your body. That was going to bruise. A metallic growl had you looking up at a rather livid Mettaton. His face no longer trying to stay 100% composed.

He gently grabbed the animatronic arm and pried the fingers off of your flesh. Making sure to untangle the fingers from your mangled shirt, he took the arm and chucked it hard at Freddy. Nailing the animatronic in the head. “Hands OFF.” His voice was low and threatening as he said it but changed on a dime to a softer tone when he turned to you. “Can you stand, sweetheart?”

You nod your head as Mettaton helps you into a standing position. Your legs wobbling a little bit before you gave the idol a thumbs up. With his hand on the small of your back, Mettaton led you out of the room. Sans sidestepped to make space in the doorway as you both passed. His entire focus on the bear animatronic that was now on its feet.You shuddered while clutching your erratic heart. You did not want to stick around any longer than possible. 

A familiar metallic screech had you skidding to a stop as you jogged into the party room with Mettaton on your heels. Foxy barreled out of the hallway. His muzzle scrunched in on itself a bit. You silently scream and clutch your injured shoulder as he runs towards you. Your body scrambling back only to bump into the rigid form of Mettaton. The robot idol steps around you and lunges at the fox animatronic. Catching both of its arms in his, he dragged it out of the way.

“Songbird, get into the security office!” Mettaton said as he continued to grapple the vicious fox animatronic. It had turned its attention away from you and was now trying to claw at Mettaton with all of it’s might. You stood frozen for a moment before nodding your head in his direction and running as fast as you can down the hallway.

With the power online that meant that the security office was fully functional again. Though you had no idea how it was back online. Your shoes squeaked against the tile floor as you got closer to the powered doors. You weren’t sure why Sans hadn’t just teleported the three of you out of here but there must be a reason why he didn’t. Despite his lazy demeanor, he always did things for a reason.

You rounded on the security office door. Thrusting your arm with the injured shoulder out, you caught the edge of the doorway and propelled your body into the office. The moment you and your arm was clear of the doorway, the door swooshed closed behind you. What the hell? How had-

“HUMAN!”

Your head whipped over to the security console to see a rather proud and perfectly intact Papyrus. Fighting back tears that were a combination of relief and pain, you launched yourself at the tall skeleton. Ignoring the stinging in your shoulder, you wrapped your arms around his lower chest. You let out a silent sob. Thank God! Everyone was okay! They weren’t dust! They were all very much alive!

“Even though I’m beary glad to see you are alright.. Paps get back to the console.”

Looking up from the now tear stained spot on Papyrus’s battle body, you saw a much more relaxed Sans standing behind you. The remnants of magic from when he teleported in still disappearing.

“ON IT, BROTHER!” Papyrus, gently, pulled out of your embrace and positioned himself in the office chair, making sure to hit the door button so that it opened on your left again. 

Sans stepped forward to rustle your hair but you took it a step further by hugging the stout skeleton tightly. He chuckled softly as he gingerly hugged you back. “Sorry about the delay kid. We had some technical difficulties.” At that he pulled away and took a position by the right side door. 

You whirled around on the left door as you heard the clicking of running heels coming down the hallway. Mettaton soon made his entrance into the office. Throwing his arm out to hit the door button as his body made it past the door frame. It swooshed closed once again. The sounds of animatronic feet following after, along with an insistent banging on the door that was now closed.

“That fox... is so persistent!” Mettaton stated as he straightened up, giving an annoyed look at the fox animatronic from the office window. You didn’t even have to head towards Mettaton. His arms were already wrapping around you so that he was holding you close to his chest. “Oh beautiful, I am so glad that you are alright!” The whirring sound of the fans in his chest picked up and you let it calm you down a bit. You were back where you started but everyone was safe. Everyone was okay!

To soon, Mettaton pulled away and stood by the left door. Using the light button to illuminate the hallway, he hit the door button so that it was open again. You headed to the very back wall of the security office. Pressing your back gently against it, you slid down until you were sitting on the floor. Your eyes wandered around the room. Mettaton was stationed by the left door whereas Sans was stationed on the right, while Papyrus sat at the security console constantly flipping through the cameras.

From your position, you could see the power meter indicating that you had 100% power again. Though you were unsure of what made it drain so quickly the first time. Then again it could have been a power failure. This place wasn’t in the best of shape. But with the way that everyone was positioned, there was no way that the animatronics were going to get into the office.

Relief spread through your body. The adrenaline that had been pumping through your veins subsided a little bit. Allowing you to feel just how tired you were after all of the scares and running. Your heart pounded away in your chest. How many times were you going to have to calm it down before this horrible night ended?

You laid your head back against the wall and closed your eyes. Counting your deep breaths along with the sounds that your friends made around you. Just having them here was helping you relax significantly. Periodically, Papyrus would call out Mettaton or Sans and the metallic swooshing of a door could be heard. They were working in tandem and it was amazing.

After a few more moments, your heart calmed down to a normal pace and you opened your eyes just in time for Mettaton to close his door again. He glanced at you and gave you a soft smile. “How are you doing, songbird?”

“Much better now.” You signed to him while returning his smile.

Glancing at the power before he headed over to you, Mettaton knelt down and checked you over. His eyes growing wide in alarm at the still bleeding wound on your shoulder. “Goodness, sweetheart! What happened to your shoulder?” The robot idol grabbed the blanket that you all had abandoned previously and tore a nice long strip off before properly wrapping your shoulder.

“Foxy.” You flinched a bit when Mettaton accidentally wrapped it to tight. “Probably going to need a Tetanus shot after this.”

“You are getting a full check up after this.” Mettaton finished tying the makeshift bandage in place. “How’s your heart?”

“Had a couple scares but it’s calm now.” Your hands signed as you looked over the neatly applied bandage on your shoulder.

“Now I have to ask.. What was that... thing...” His voice turned to venom on that word. “Trying to do to you in the parts room?”

“He was trying to shove me into that nonfunctional Freddy suit.”

Mettaton’s eyes shot up in surprise. “But there was no way you could fit! Not with all the mechanisms and wires...”

“I know that. More than likely he would have ground me into a pulp on the pointy things.” You couldn’t help but shudder at that image. If he had gotten away with it... What would there even be left of you?

“SORRY TO INTERRUPT BUT THE POWER.…”

“Right, right! Sorry, Darling.” Mettaton stood up and hit the door button as he went back to his position by the door.

Your eyes wandered over to Papyrus. The tall skeleton was frantically searching for something on the security screens before he blared out. “I CAN’T FIND THE YELLOW BIRD ONE!” Both Mettaton and Sans flicked on their hallway lights.

“Not on this side.” Mettaton called as he leaned out to peer into the hallway.

“Found the bird brain” Sans stated as he hit his door button and flicked off the hallway light. He turns and leans against the wall as he waits.

Taking this opportunity, you decide to ask him what happened. “Where did you guys go? It was like you all disappeared!” You signed to the stout skeleton after clicking your tongue a few times to get his attention.

“That was an adventure.” Sans began while scratching his cheek bone absently. “Well by the time we got back to this office, Paps was trying to talk to it. That creepy purple bunny one. He had it held at arms length but it kept trying to get him. So after Mettaton arrived, He kind of... pushed it out into the hallway. Just some gentle nudges and then closed the door.”

“We figured that you had been right behind Mettaton the whole time. It took us a couple of seconds to realize that you weren’t with us. When that happened, Mettaton had got that door open so fast and was back in that pirate area before you could blink. With Paps and I following, of course.” Sans frown dropped a little bit. “It was there that we saw the small pool of blood and your flashlight on the floor.”

“I shouldn’t have allowed you to be separated from us!” Mettaton growled to himself. Looking angry at himself that he had allowed harm to befall you.

“Don’t you dare blame yourself!.” You clapped your hands to get the robot idol’s attention. “You didn’t know that Foxy would come after me. None of us did!”

“Still... That isn’t an excuse... Anyway continue Sans.”Mettaton stated after gesturing to the stout skeleton.

“Yeah... well we, immediately, began looking for you. I started teleporting to the various rooms while Mettaton and Papyrus did a more thorough search. Just.. Man. Kid when you don’t want to be found, you don’t want to be found.” Sans gave you a playful wink at that before continuing. “Papyrus did a brief check of the party room while Mettaton looked for clues and pirate cove. It was when we circled back and headed down the right hallway that we ran into some minor trouble. By the way where were you?”

“When Foxy chased me, I ran into the party room and hid under the table in the far back.”

“I DIDN’T GET BACK THAT FAR! THE BUNNY ROBOT WAS WALKING IN FROM THE STAGE AREA AT THAT TIME! SPEAKING OF.. METTATON CHECK YOUR HALLWAY!” Papyrus called out a little more loudly than usual.

“How come I didn’t hear you?” your hands asked the three monsters. It had been rather silent up until now.

“We kept quiet. That way we didn’t alert the animatronics to our presence, sweetheart. If you were hiding, we didn’t want to accidentally give you away until we were by your side.” Mettaton said as he hit his light to reveal the bunny animatronic right outside the doorway, casting a shadow on the inner wall. Without another word he hit the door button and it denied access to the decrepit purple rabbit.

Sans nodded his head in agreement with the robot idol before picking up where he left off. “Anyway, we ran into the yellow bird one in the kitchens. That ‘Let’s Eat!’ bib is creepy as hell, by the way. It was then that we heard the office doors close and then a few moments later the power went off. We couldn’t just leave you in the dark.”

“So Papyrus stayed in the kitchen to deal with the bird brain and I took Mettaton over to a fuse box I had found while teleporting around. Papyrus was supposed to head to the office after but I don’t know what happened with that.” Sans said with a shrug.

“I DECIDED TO CHECK THIS WEIRD SIDE ROOM THAT WAS OFF THE KITCHEN! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PERFECT PLACE TO HIDE.” Papyrus spoke up as Sans checked his hallway light only for him to open the right door. There was a side room in the kitchen? A pantry maybe? “BY THE TIME I GOT BACK TO THE OFFICE IT WAS EMPTY. BUT I DECIDED TO STAY INCASE YOU MADE YOUR WAY BACK TO THE OFFICE AGAIN!”

That made sense. It would be better for him to wait in the one spot that he expected you to come back to rather than search and miss each other. Like you previously had done a couple times before. At that point, you were hiding under the table in the stage area. If the power had been on Papyrus would have probably noticed the table with a new tablecloth on it immediately.

“While Paps was doing that... Mettaton and I were trying to get the power back on. That.… took longer than it should have.” Sans said scratching his chin apologetically. “This place is barely working. The set up is like it’s from the stone ages. Now I’m not an engineer but I managed to get it up in running thanks to a part from Metta.”

Mettaton did a grand bow before opening his door again as well. “Yep, Alphys is gonna need to fix me up a bit.”

“Then we teleported back into the office once I knew that the power would come back on. Not a few seconds later the power turned back on and we were scouring the cameras to see if you had popped out. Only to...” Sans trailed off but Mettaton picked it back up.

“See that bastard pushing you into the suit.” His voice was lined with anger and disgust as he said it. The red back in his eyes. “Then I grabbed Sans’s arm as he teleported and the rest.. You saw.” At that, Mettaton and Sans went back to focusing on their respective doors. Letting the conversation die so that they could focus on protecting you.

Grabbing the rest of the blanket, you wrapped it around your exhausted form. If they hadn’t arrived when they did then you would be mangled human meat in a Freddy suit. That... was a rather unpleasant thing to think about. Thank God you had agreed to let them come with you or else you would have died. 

You wiggled your arms out of the blanket and fished your phone out of your pocket. Quickly tapping the screen so that it showed you the time.

4:00 am.

Two hours left. Though you still weren’t sure why Sans didn’t just teleport all of you out. You’ll have to ask him the next chance you got. Settling down in the blanket, you watched the cameras behind Papyrus. His focus unwavering. A small smile formed on your lips.

There was no way in hell that those animatronics could get to you now.


	26. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Cali here! Since I have something planned for tomorrow (which is July 4th) You are getting the regular chapter early! Now please be nice because uh... I didn't have nearly enough time to edit it like I normally do. But please enjoy! Also... Thank you so much to the people below for the fanart! (I can't put links in here...)  
> Cloy552- Maid Papyrus   
> Pap-Pinkie and Rans- Maid Papyrus  
> bigsisnat533- Maid papyrus  
> Smok-dziecko- Mettaton icon  
> Smok-dziecko- Maid Papyrus

You knocked on the door to the skelebros with a frustrated sigh. Your knuckles hurting a bit at the force that you put into it. After Mettaton had taken you home, the next day, Papyrus had come over to train with you. Unfortunately, he had to leave in a hurry and you had some of his training gear. The brothers had been busy the past couple of days so now you are trying to give the stuff back today. However.… They weren’t making it easy.

Inside, you could hear Papyrus yelling at something along with other loud sounds. Sounds that you weren’t sure if you should be worried about or not. With all the noise, there was no way they could hear you knocking. It wasn’t until an orange bone went through the window that you just burst open the door to figure out what the hell was going on.

A white dog ran through the gap in your legs and you are knocked down by a smaller force immediately after. The plastic bag, you held, hitting the porch with it’s contents scattering. Great.

“NOOOOOO! HE GOT AWAY!” Papyrus’s anguished cry ringing out from within the house. You heard a faint giggling from the small form that had knocked you over and looked down to see none other than the monster ambassador themselves. Your hunch about the skelebros knowing the child being proven true. Though why they were here.. You weren’t sure.

They wrapped their tiny arms around your waist with a big grin on their face. It was obvious they were happy to see you again. Returning their smile, you pat their brown mop of hair before attempting to stand up. Only to be whisked into a spinning hug along with Frisk by the tall skeleton brother.

“HELLO, (Y/N)!” the anguish that was once in Papyrus’s voice long gone. You silently chuckled as he spun around a couple more times before setting the two of you down. “WHAT BRINGS YOU OVER TO MY AWESOME HOUSE?”

“I brought back the training equipment you left behind.” You signed to him with a smile before heading back out onto the porch to collect the scattered items. Only now they were mixed with broken glass from the window. Silently grumbling to yourself, you knelt down to pick up the items from the glass only for a gloved hand to lay on your shoulder.

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT, (Y/N). FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS. YOU COULD GET HURT!” He stated proudly as he pulled you back onto your feet and led you back into the house. “INSTEAD, YOU CAN WATCH THE TINY HUMAN THAT I AM SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING!”

Oh, so Papyrus was babysitting? Frisk waved to you from the couch and you left the skeleton to do his thing to join the kid. You made a show of flopping down on the couch so that the force launched Frisk up a bit. They giggled at you. “It’s been a couple days. How have you been, squirt?”

“I’ve been pretty good. How’d it go with Mettaton?” they signed back to you as you settled yourself into a more comfortable position.

Mettaton mustn’t have told them about it. “Well.. To be honest, it went a lot better than I expected.” you stated thoughtfully as you went over what happened that night in your mind. “But I think it’s because I had the help and support of a certain someone” You made sure to end it with a wink in the child’s direction.

The kid did a happy fist bump in the air. “I knew it would go well! There was no way it could go bad.”

“Well, he was speechless for a good while and it kind of scared me...” Those moments before he took you in his arms had been the longest in your life. If it wasn’t for the fact that they led into a couple of your favorites... You probably would want to forget they happened at all. The unknown silence had been terrifying.

“Whenever I see you, you leave me speechless.” Frisk signed as they leaned forward a bit.

Your eyes grew wide. Did they... Did Frisk just flirt with you? And with the fact that they are selectively mute no less! A pick up pun? You clapped your hands to your mouth as Frisk waggled their eyebrows at you in a perfect imitation of Undyne’s. Silent laughter wracked your body as Papyrus made his way to the kitchen with the glass in the bag.

“I’m sorry, Frisk, Darling.” You signed with the haughty look of Mettaton gracing your features. “But I believe I’m spoken for now.” Now it was their turn to laugh. Their laughter bringing Papyrus back into the room.

“WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY AND HELP ME TAKE CARE OF THE TINY HUMAN?” Despite trying to keep calm, you could tell Papyrus wanted you to stay and hang out as he said it.

How on earth could you say ‘no’ to that? 

“And miss hanging out with the great Papyrus? I don’t think so!” Papyrus letting out a victorious woop after reading what your hands had said.

“WONDERFUL! THEN LET US BEGIN WITH A GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK! I WILL START!” Papyrus walked over to a nearby wall and started counting. Frisk and you dived off the couch and ran about the house searching for the best hiding places. 

You managed to take some pots and pans out of a low cabinet and climb inside. Making sure to put the pans in another cabinet so it wasn’t obvious to see where you had hidden. Papyrus called out 100 a few moments later and you hunkered down in your cramped hiding space. Let’s see how long it was gonna take for him to find you.

After being it a couple of times, it was now you and Papyrus’s turn to hide. You had learned that Frisk knew this house inside and out. Their small body being able to hid in places you could never even attempt. Not that you didn’t try, like you were doing now. Even though this was probably rather dangerous, You had managed to pull yourself up and onto the bookshelf that wasn’t that far from the front door. Wedging yourself in the small space between the ceiling and the top shelf. There hadn’t been anything on the top shelf and it was bolted into the wall. Probably for Frisk’s protection. Didn’t want the monster ambassador to be squished by a bookshelf.

Why were you there of all places? Well, you noticed when Frisk was seeking, a previous time, that they didn’t often look up and in your current position they could only see you if they came in from the hallway to the right. The wall it was attached to blocking out any other views. So you had figured... Why not?

You heard Frisk’s hands stop clapping to signal that they had finished counting. It was the moment of truth. Let’s see if your observations would pan out or not. You tried to make yourself as small as possible when the front door burst open.

“Papyrus, Darling~ I have a surprise for you!” The feminine male voice of Mettaton called out as the robot made his way into the front room. Right in front of your hiding spot. He was carrying several bags and what looked like.. Recipe books? You hadn’t had a chance to see him since your talk. But that didn’t stop the two of you texting back and forth on a rather frequent basis. He called out again while patiently tapping his foot to an unknown beat on the floor. Waiting for the tall skeleton to come out. So he hadn’t noticed your presence.

_Good_.

This was to perfect. He was completely unsuspecting. Maneuvering your body as quietly as possible into a crouching position, you launch yourself from the top of the bookshelf and tackle the robot idol. He lets out a cry of surprise as you wrap your arms around the tops of his shoulders with your legs around his waist and he stumbles forward to regain his balance. 

“Oh my! What the-… OH! Hello, Songbird~” Mettaton’s surprised voice purring out your nickname when he angled his head back to see his surprise attacker. You gave him a playful grin and nuzzled the back of his neck. He returned your smile with a playfully smug one. His eyes narrowing into a smoldering gaze. “If you want to jump this fabulous body that badly... You have to buy me dinner first~”

Abort. ABORT! A bright blush flew across your face. Your heart doing backflips under his gaze. You, immediately, released him and hid your face in his back. Your silly game once again thrown back in your face. You’ll get him back for teasing you... Eventually.

Papyrus popped out of his hiding place on the second floor and bounded down the stairs with Frisk not far behind. Mettaton set the bags on the floor and swooped Frisk into a hug. Much to the child’s delight.

“HELLO, METTATON! IT IS NICE TO SEE YOU!” Papyrus’s voice getting happily louder after Mettaton pulled him into a hug too. At this point you kind of felt left out but then again... You did pounce him from a bookshelf. Instead, you opted to try to get rid of your still flushed expression.

Mettaton released the two and set Frisk gently on their feet. “It’s wonderful to see you all as well! Might I ask why you are all here and didn’t invite sweet lil me?” He gave you all an overly dramatic somber expression. Like your impromptu get together ripped out his heart. Does he even have a heart? 

“(Y/N) AND I ARE LOOKING AFTER THE TINY HUMAN WHILE TORIEL IS AT A PTA MEETING.” You watched as Frisk’s happy expression turned to one of disgust at the reminder. What was wrong with the PTA meetings? Maybe you’ll figure out about it later. But Frisk’s expression wasn’t the only one to turn to disgust. Mettaton’s did as well.

“Toriel has the patience of a saint.” He said before letting the negative feeling that had momentarily settled on the room subside. “Anyway, sugar skull, I brought you some presents that fans had given me from my last show.”

“Which one?” You signed to him once you felt composed enough to stop hiding behind the tall metal idol.

“Cooking With A Killer Robot.” He gave you a wink as he handed 5 brand new cookbooks to Papyrus.

The skeleton looked like a little kid discovering Christmas for the first time. “WOWIE! THESE ARE GREAT!”

You caught a couple glimpses of the titles on the covers and let out a whistle. Those were some pretty pricey cookbooks. “Your fans gave those to you?”

“That they did, beautiful. They wanted to see if I could get some inspiration from them. But I don’t need them since I already have copies of most given to me by others.” Mettaton gave a sheepish smile at that. “Even though, I love everything my fans give me.. I couldn't have them sitting on a shelf collecting dust! So I figured I could give them to another culinary expert. I even brought the ingredients for a couple of the recipes that looked interesting.”

Frisk looked up from going through the bags that Mettaton had set on the floor. “Why don’t we try cooking some of them now?” they signed up to their metal friend. Mettston looked at the child, unsure. Did he have other things to do?

All three of you were looking at Mettaton with big pleading puppy eyes now. You even went so far as to sticking your bottom lip out in a pout. When his eyes landed on you, his resolve to head back seemed to completely shatter. “Sure, Sweethearts... I guess we can have Cooking With A Killer Robot Home Edition.”

Frisk and Papyrus cheered. They gathers up the bags and brought them into the kitchen. The sounds of unpacking food and debate on what the recipes were following soon after. You playfully nudged Mettaton with your elbow. A rather seductive look on your face.

“Looks like I’m making you that dinner instead of buying it.” You signed to him with a playful wink. Now it was his turn to blush and you reveled in it. At that, you skipped into the kitchen. Proud to have given the robot tease a taste of his own medicine.

“No, Papyrus! Don’t beat the dough with your fists!” Mettaton called from the kitchen counter. Papyrus had moved the table to the center of the room so that he, Frisk, and yourself could stand side by side with Mettaton teaching, in front of you. He was currently trying to teach you how to make homemade cinnamon rolls. Which Mettaton was quickly learning that it would be harder than it would appear to be.

You tapped Papyrus’s arm to get his attention and showed him how he needed to knead the dough. Not pulverize it. He nodded his skull in understanding and started mimicking your movements. Despite all the hiccups he’s had... Papyrus was actually a fast learner. However... whoever was teaching him to be so aggressive with food really needed a reality check.

It was then that the front door was kicked open so hard that the entire house shook on it’s foundation. “PAPYRUS! WHERE ARE YOU?!” The shrill yell of Undyne’s voice made its way into the kitchen as she made her loud entrance. “THERE YOU ARE! You’re late for training!”

To put it mildly, she looked pissed and that was putting it very mildly. Papyrus glanced over at the kitchen clock in surprise. “OH NO.. I’M SORRY UNDYNE! METTATON STOPPED BY AND BROUGHT THESE NEW COOK BOOKS...”

“Hey, so you are cooking without me?” Undyne’s anger seemed to subside a bit as she took in the rest of the room. You were all elbows deep in cinnamon roll dough. She took in the smell of the room before turning to Mettaton. Changing her mind in a second. “Well, you can count me in! LET’S DO THIS!”

Undyne made herself a spot next to Papyrus as Mettaton brought over the ingredients so that she could catch up to the rest of you. Your fingers unconsciously working the dough as you watched the two monsters. Undyne was obliterating the ingredients. Getting egg shell in the dough and just making a mess.

She was probably Papyrus’s teacher... 

Soon you all stop working your own dough and watch as Mettaton constantly berates Undyne for doing it wrong. Her frustration growing at the idol until... “I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!” Undyne took some of the poor dough she made and threw it at Mettaton. Nailing him right between the eyes.

“There was no need for that, darling!” Mettaton growled out while taking a hand and wiping the sugary concoction from his face. Some of it was in his hair though. “All I was doing was trying to teach you-”

“Your teaching sucks.” Undyne states with an unashamed shrug. Spurring more anger to rise within Mettaton.

His hand hit the table hard as he leaned in towards the fish woman. Clearly ready to bitch the woman out. “Now you listen her-” He was cut off as a second glob of dough hits him in the face but this time it wasn’t from Undyne.

With a strangely calm demeanor that had fear coursing through your veins, he turns to the three of you with a strained smile on his face. “Who. Threw. That?” you could swear you saw his eye twitching as he said it.

Frisk who stood between you and Papyrus immediately pointed to you without any hesitation. You dropped the dough that you had been working on the table to hold your hands up in self defense. “ I did NOT do that. I swear!” Your hands smearing some of the dough around as you signed.

The child just let out an exasperated sigh. Like they couldn’t believe that you would try to weasel your way out of it. When you knew it was them who had thrown it. That cheeky little brat! How dare they try to get you in trouble! You were not about to be murdered over cinnamon rolls.

So you took a small amount of your dough and threw it at Frisk. With a smug smirk, they easily dodged out of the way and you hit Papyrus’s thigh instead. “DON’T HIT THE SKELETON WITH PROJECTILE FOOD!”

Undyne was now laughing at your failed attempt to nail Frisk but was cut off when Frisk took another small ball and nailed her in the forehead with it. “WHO DID THAT!?!” She demanded with her fist hitting the table. Her eyes had been closed when she was laughing.

Once again, Frisk points at you. This time you didn’t even get an attempt to explain yourself. Undyne pelts you with a little more of the dough she has and you stumble back a bit from the force. You wiped the dough from your face. Your eyes narrowing at the fish monster.

Oh.

It was _ON_ now.

Quickly, you grab your dough and start raining doughy projectiles in Undyne’s direction. Some missing by a long shot while others hitting right where you wanted. Soon Frisk is throwing their dough at anyone they could and everyone is pulled into the fight. 

Dough flies in all directions. Splattering on the walls, the ceiling, the floor... You. It wasn’t long before you were getting low on ammo. So you started scraping dough balls off the wall and floor to add them to your arsenal. All of you are so focused on your little war that you don’t notice the stout skeleton walk in.

“Hey, guys. Whatcha cooking? It smells grea-” The deep voice of Sans is cut off as a stray dough ball nails him on the top of his skull. Everyone freezes. You are currently on the floor with your arm out mid throw. Frisk is hiding under the table. Papyrus had claimed a corner whereas Undyne was laying on top of the table mid throw at Mettaton who was standing with his back arched out of the way of the projectile she threw. 

All of you were watching Sans with a wary expression. He starts chuckling. His boney shoulders shaking from them. “Now... Don’t look so _doughy_ eyed everyone. Now...” Sans looked back at all of you with his left eye flaring up. “Who threw that?”

You had no clue but you honestly didn’t care. Immediately, you pointed to Mettaton with Frisk pointing at Papyrus who was pointing at Undyne who was pointing at you. Everyone blaming everyone.

“No clear answer huh? Well.. Looks like I’m gonna knead that dough.” All the dough that still had a solid form got a blue aura around it. Sans the flicked his finger up and it all shot towards the ceiling. All the dough forming into separate little balls. “I guess you all are gonna have...”

“A _doughy_ time.”

As soon as the words are out of his mouth the doughy projectiles are raining down from the heavens. You all try to dodge around the doughy onslaught but you end up getting nailed a couple of times. Once the barrage is over, Sans just picks up the dough again with his magic and makes more ammo. Making it rain dough down on the 5 of you over and over.

Seeing 3 projectiles directed at you, you dived into the cabinet that you had hidden in previously. The loud thunking sound of the dough hitting the door after you closed it. You shook with silent laughter as you heard the anguished cries of your fellow victims in the kitchen. Undyne and Papyrus were the only ones trying to fight back. Opening the door, you peeked out a bit to watch the epic food battle. There was no way they were going to win.

That didn’t mean you weren’t going to watch.


	27. Special Jerry Edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th of July everyone! But because I had to write this one.... The finale of the side story will have to wait until next week. I hope you all don't mind! Also I can't believe it! 483 kudos! Thank you all so much T.T

“Could you place this potato salad by the other salads, my child?” The gentle voice of Toriel asked after you had finished placing a couple other things. You gave her an enthusiastic nod and took the large bowl from her white furry hands. It was a little heavy but you managed to get over to its rightful place among the other cold salads.

Frisk popped out from under the tablecloth startling you a little bit. Their small body vibrating with excitement. Today was the 4th of July. With a few calls from Toriel, everyone had agreed to meet up at the park so that you could all watch the fireworks show together, later tonight. Sans, Papyrus, and yourself had arrived together bearing chips and other picnic goodies. It wasn’t long before Toriel had you and Papyrus bustling about to help her set up the dinner picnic.

Lots of other families, both monster and human, milled about setting up their own picnics and get togethers. Back in the parking lot, half of it was filled with games, stalls, and other festivities. Happy children played on the jungle gym and swings. Their cries of joy adding to the other sounds of merriment. Seems like everyone was out to celebrate the holiday.

You smiled and rustled their mop of brown hair before backing up into a familiar pair of metal arms. They lifted you up and you were spun around in a bear hug. “Hellooo, Beeaaauuuttiifull~”Mettaton’s voice sung out as he twirled around with you. Your legs swung around in the air as you silently laughed against the robot idol.

He eventually slowed and put you down with his arms still wrapped around your body. You looked up at him to receive a soft kiss from his lips on your forehead. A small blush settling on your cheeks as you try to wiggle out of his arms. Frisk pops out from under the table to help save you from the robot idol. Their tiny hands having no effect on Mettaton’s metal arms.

This doesn’t deter Mettaton one bit. Instead, he snatches up Frisk and squishes them against you. “Toriel~ I’m kidnapping the humans!” He called out while heading towards the parking lot with the two of you in his arms.

“Make sure to be back by 8 for the fireworks. We’ll be on the hill! Frisk knows the way.” You could hear the melodic chuckle of Toriel after she called out to you as she watched the three of you go.

Mettaton put the two of you down once he reached the edge of the parking lot. He took one of your hands in his as Frisk stole Mettaton’s other. Together the three of you pushed your way into the crowded stall area. The smells of fried foods filled the air along with sweet ones like cotton candy. Adults and children alike wandered about the area getting food or playing the carnival like games. The atmosphere was infectious.

A stall selling some cute plushies caught your eye and you tugged on Mettaton’s hand to get his attention while pointing to the stall with the other. “Go ahead and look, sweetheart. I think I see Shyren up ahead. Frisk, wanna check it out?” Mettaton looks to the human child on his opposite side. They nodded enthusiastically and you were left to peruse the stall at your leisure.

So you wandered on over. They had a bunch of cute ones...but they were EXPENSIVE! Why were such cheaply made things so expensive at fairs and carnivals?! It didn’t make sense. As you picked up a horribly made rectangle Mettaton plush (If he saw this... The poor owner of the stall was gonna probably be dead), you felt a hand press against your shoulder and wipe down your back.

Quickly, you stood up. Jumping away from the said offending hand. Behind you was a rather odd looking monster. He appeared to be in the odd shape of a UFO with three spikes on the top. Two noodle like arms reached out from under his body. In one, he held a half eaten funnel cake that was covered in powdered sugar. The other hand... was covered in sticky powdered sugar. Well... Partially. Wait. Did he? Did he just...?

You ran your fingers over your back where he had touched you. The sticky texture confirmed your suspicions. Oh, he DID. This little monster, whom you have never met, had just walked up and wiped his hand clean on the back of your shirt! Even now he was looking at you with a bored expression while chewing with his mouth open. His lips making loud disgusting smacking sounds. 

The monster’s rude actions alone has you in a stunned silence. A slight bubbling anger conflicting with the shock that that actually just happened! Just... What the hell? You saw his nostrils flare up as he breathed in loudly before speaking to you.

“That shirt is ugly. Why are you even wearing it?” His voice was nasally and had a slight hint of.. no A LOT of arrogance. Your mouth fell open at the blatant disrespect this monster was giving you. Not only did he just use you as a napkin... But he insulted you to your face without blinking his rectangular eyes.

Just.. WOW.

Who the hell did he think he is?! You started to sign to him but he just put more of the cake into his mouth. Ignoring your hands completely. Your foot stomped the ground in frustration. What was this guy’s deal?

“Songbird~! Did you find anything you like- Oh my! What happened to your adorable shirt?” You felt the familiar hands of Mettaton investigate the sticky sugar on the fabric. Your head swiveled so that you could see Mettaton and Frisk behind you. To angry and shocked to sign clearly, you pointed an offending finger at the UFO monster in front of you.

“Adorable? It looks like a dishrag. I thought you had better taste Mettaton.”

Both of them looked up at the monster who had just insulted you AGAIN, along with Mettaton. You watched as their faces turned from anger to obvious disdain. “Hello.… Jerry.”

Wow. No cutesy nickname. No flamboyancy. He must not like “Jerry” that much. Then again, nor do you. Mettaton gently grabbed your arm while Frisk grabbed the other and the moment Jerry looked away, they led you into the throng of people. Completely ditching Jerry.

They led you over to an improvised food court area. You sat down at a nearby table. It was then you realized that you still had the horribly made Mettaton plush. Whoops. Hooray accidental theft! Frisk went up to a stall for some ice water and napkins. Once they were back, Mettaton set about trying to get the sugary sticky paste off the back of your shirt. “So I take it that you both know Jerry?” You signed to them as you shivered a bit. That ice water was really cold.

“Everyone knows Jerry.” Frisk signed to you. Their face still holding a slight hint of distaste for the UFO monster.

“DUH! Who DOESN’T know?”

The nasally annoying voice came from across the table next to you. All three of you look over and sure enough. There’s Jerry. This time he had his cellphone out and appeared to be talking to someone. Rather loudly. His voice cutting over the conversations of all the people in the nearby vicinity. 

Without a word, Frisk and Mettaton stood up. You followed suit. Once again, the moment Jerry looked away, the three of you ditched him. Essentially giving up on cleaning your shirt. This time you all headed over to a series of game stalls. You all kind of wandered around until a familiar fish woman had you stopping.

“H-Here you go Ma’am..” The person running the stall used a hook to pull a large Hatsune Miku doll off the top shelf of the prize corner and handed it to Undyne.

Undyne took it and placed it among the rather large pile of other stuffed animals and plushies. It took you a minute to realize that Alphys wasn’t supposed to be one of the plushies in the pile. Undyne slapped some money on the counter. “AGAIN!”

To scared to even stop her, the stall owner took the money and handed Undyne three more darts. With the skill of an expert marksman, Undyne took all three of the darts and threw them at the same time. The darts flying true and hitting the correct color of balloons to give her the highest point total that the game could manage. There weren’t many balloons left. At this rate, Undyne was going to empty out the entire stall of prizes.

Still it was impressive. You started clapping your hands and Frisk and Mettaton followed suit. Undyne turned around and gave you all a big toothy grin. “Hey, punks! Ready for the fireworks show?”

“Of course! Who doesn’t like watching colorful explosions?” You gave her an eager nod as you signed to her and then waved to Alphys. Who waved back as best she could from under the pile of toys. Where was she going to put them all?

With a defeated sigh, the stall owner rang the bell to signal a winner. “Congratulations! You can pick from our top prizes.” His voice was not enthusiastic at all. However Undyne either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“Alright, Alphys! Which one do you want?” she asked the small yellow monster. Alphys strained a bit to look at the top shelf. Only a few prizes remained. There was a big stuffed teddy bear, another Miku doll, and a giant shark. Alphys thought for a minute then pointed to the stuffed bear.

Once again, the stall owner went about getting the prize as Frisk ran up to the stall and pointed to the giant shark. They hopped up and down. Looking from Undyne to the shark. “You want the shark? You got it!” Undyne slapped some more money on the counter. The stall owner grabbed three more darts and handed them to her along with the giant bear.

Frisk was handed the bear to give to Alphys so that Undyne could throw the darts. The projectiles striking their intended targets in mere seconds. You all cheered in victory as the stall owner groaned. The poor guy wasn’t going to make any money at this rate. He handed Frisk the shark and they jumped up and down happily.

“Oh, COME ON. I can throw better than that.”

It was back. The nasally voice was back! Everyone but the stall owner froze at the voice. Begrudgingly, you turned around and sure enough.. there was Jerry. Undyne just walked over to Alphys. She picked up all the toys and headed off in a direction with Alphys following not far behind.

Mettaton took your hand and led you and Frisk in the opposite direction. Jerry being ditched at the darts stall. Why? Why did the annoying monster keep popping up? Just why?! Was he following you guys? Did he not have someone else to bug?? The three of you wander for a bit until you pull them to a stop. At one of the nearby game stalls, was a row of white dog plushies. Ones that reminded you of the white dog that keeps conveniently plaguing Papyrus’s life.

You head over to it with Mettaton and Frisk following behind you. The female stall owner flashed you a brilliant smile as you approached. “Hello there, sweetie! Welcome to the Bottle Toss game! All you have to do is knock those three measly milk bottles over there down and you win the top prize! It’s 3 balls for 5 dollars!”

That didn’t sound to hard. You whipped out your billfold to pull out the money but a gloved hand stopped you. “Allow me, beautiful.” Mettaton placed a 5 dollar bill on the counter while giving you a wink and the lady handed you three white balls. They looked heavier than they were. Setting the awful Mettaton doll down and receiving a weird look from him when he now noticed you had it, you frowned to yourself. Could you actually knock down those bottles with these? You gave a shrug and decided to try anyway. Looks can be deceiving.

With a determined look, you threw the first one and it sails by the bottles just barely missing them. “Ooooooo! So close! You still got two more tries.” The stall lady gave you an encouraging wink and you threw the second one. It sailed true and tapped the top of the bottle pyramid. The very top. The ball bounced off at an angle and you had to duck so that you wouldn’t be hit. But your dodging was unnecessary as Mettaton had caught the ball before it could even reach you.

Now you gave the woman a skeptical look. Your ball had hit the bottle and it didn’t even move a centimeter. Maybe you didn’t use enough force? The woman just gives you an amused shrug. Well, she wasn’t going to win. Not if you had anything to say about it. You took the last ball and threw it at the bottles as hard as you could. It flew in a perfect arch and nailed the bottom row right in the center.

Frisk and Mettaton let out a cheer but you didn’t. None of the bottles fell over. The ball bounced uselessly to the floor and you looked at the counter dejectedly. It was obvious that this game was rigged. The bottles were weighted and the balls were light. There was no way that you could win even if you hit them in the right spot all three times. Frisk’s cheers turned to growls as they realized what had happened. They pointed their giant shark at the woman as they growled.

Clearly, they had figured out the rigged game as well. The woman just gave you a mock pouty face. “Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe you can do it next time. Want another go?”

You shook your head at her with a slight glare in your eyes. “There isn’t any point. It’s not like I could win. Let’s go, guys.” Your signing was faster than normal due to the dejected anger in your system. Looks like you weren’t going to be able to show Papyrus your prize dog after all.

“Now wait just a minute, sweetheart. Let ME have a go.” Mettaton stated. His friendly voice lightly laced with well hidden venom at the rigged game.

“Sure thing, big guy!” She replied happily. Mettaton handed her another 5 dollar bill and she handed him three balls. He only took one.

With amazing speed, he threw his arm back and pelted the ball at the bottles with all his robotic strength. It soared true and scattered the weighted bottles like they were dust. The impact so great that the ball was crushed where it had hit the bottles. You clapped in delight as Frisk’s growls turned back into cheers. The look on the woman’s face... Was priceless. 

Immediately, she bristled with anger at Mettaton. “You can’t do that! That’s cheating!”

“Well then you shouldn’t be running a rigged game now should you, darling?” The smug look Mettaton gave her dared the woman to continue her argument. She wisely shut her mouth while she glared at the robot idol. Without another word, she took down the biggest white pomeranian plushie and hands it to you. Mettaton flashes her a sickly sweet smile as you take it and the Mettaton doll from the counter. “Thank you, darling~”

The three of you left the angry woman to tend to her game and headed off in an aimless direction. By now the sun had set and the stars were starting to come out. You pulled out your phone and checked the time. It was almost 8pm. Your stomach growled in protest at not eating anything and you showed Mettaton your phone then Frisk. “We should probably head back. The show is about to start. We can eat afterwards. Mom will have leftovers for us more than likely.” They signed to you with a reassuring smile.

Picnic leftovers were still fantastic leftovers. You could wait until the fireworks display was over. Frisk and you followed Mettaton back towards the park and from there Frisk led your small group to the designated hill. Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore were already sitting on blankets further down the top of the hill. There was an empty one at the very top that you were sure Toriel laid out for you.

“There you are, my child! I thought that you would miss the fireworks!” Toriel smiled sweetly as Frisk ran up with their giant shark in their hands. They settled down in her lap and turned to face where the fireworks display would begin. Giving them all a friendly wave, you let Mettaton take your hand and lead you up to the empty blanket at the top of the hill. 

You sat down first, setting your two plushies on the blanket, while he settled in the spot right next to you. Mettaton leaned back on his hands and you moved so that you were leaning on his shoulder. “You know.. Despite the Jerry incidents. Today was a lot of fun.” You signed to him with a soft smile on your face.

Mettaton nodded. “That it was, songbird... I’m just glad Jerry finally decided to leave us alone.”

“Same here...” you nuzzled into him earning you a contented hum.

No sooner after you both got comfortable did the first fireworks light up the sky. Brilliants shades of red blue and purple fired one after another in succession. It was a spectacular sight. Until the next set had both you and Mettaton blinking at the sky in disdain.

“HOW THE FUCK DID HE MANAGE TO DO THAT?!” Mettaton threw his arms into the air outraged. You were still laying against him stunned. There... in the sky... the fireworks that had been shot off... formed Jerry. How.. JUST HOW?!

With a mutual agreement that seemed to spread amongst your rag tag group, you all stood up, gathered your things, and left.


	28. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter today... Just been rather busy. x.x

“Maybe it can be entirely a bird theme!”

“...What?” You signed to the over enthusiastic robot in front of you. After working some time into his schedule, Mettaton had called you into his office to discuss his next album which would be featuring your song as one of it’s tracks. Even though you had yet to see the fruits of your labor in Germany. Currently you were trying to figure out how the layout of all the songs would influence each other. You had both agreed that you didn’t want a bunch of random songs on it. There was no way that you wanted it to be random or like a best hits album. Instead, Mettaton wanted it to be cohesive and you completely agreed. However.… A bird theme?

Mettaton stood up out of his chair in excitement. “Think about it, sweetheart. Every song could incorporate a different bird and tell its tale!”

At first, you weren’t sure if he had said a pun. Which he had but he hadn’t realized it. Taking this opportunity before it slipped away, you looked at him over dramatically aghast. Channeling the robot idol through your being. “Considering... My song has you chasing after one bird... I see how it is...” Quickly, you looked to the floor while clutching your heart in mock hurt. But you may have made it look to realistic.

“Beautiful?... How is ‘what’?” Mettaton was now unsure of what he said that could have made you upset. He leaned over the desk towards you with a full look of concern on his face. Whoops. Not what you wanted to do. Looks like your acting could give his a run for it’s money.

“All you want to do is chase _tail feathers_!” You give him your best crocodile tears, even adding in some silent sniffles for good measure.

Through the strands of your hair, you watched as the look on Mettaton’s face changed from concerned to slightly annoyed but relieved. “Darling, you keep doing things like that then _I’m_ going to have a heart attack.”

“Do you even have a heart?” Your hands asked with genuine curiosity as you smiled at his words. Was it a real heart or a mechanical one? Did Alphys design it? How did it work and was it for aesthetic purposes or was it actually used?

“That I do but we have gotten off topic.” He sits back down in his chair and rifled through a couple of papers on it. You settled back in your comfy chair when a knock on the door had the both of you looking at it in question. Mettaton had specifically explained that he needed to sit down and figure this album stuff out. Telling his employees to only disturb him if there was an emergency. You could see the sour expression start to form on the robot idol’s face. If this wasn’t an emergency that person was going to get an earful. “Come in!” he called. His normally playful but sultry voice now all business.

However the person who opened the door had you both out of your chairs in worry. In the doorway was Sans. Looking as though he was about to keel over right then and there. You didn’t know how but his cheekbones looked even paler than normal. Sunken in even. He looked extremely frail. It appeared to be an effort for him to just be standing in the door way.

As quickly as you could, both Mettaton and you guided the ragged skeleton to a nearby chair. He fell into it grateful to be off of his slippered feet. But it just made him look worse. You lightly clicked your tongue to get his attention. “Sans, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

“You look positively awful, Darling.”

Sans chuckled before quickly clapping a boney hand over his mouth to stifle a series of horrible coughs. “Yeah, I’m fine..”

“You got to be _kitten_ me! How are you _feline_ fine? You look like we need to call a _purr_ amedic!” Your hands flying with the puns before Mettaton could even comprehend them, in an attempt to cheer the skeleton up. You had signed the first things that seemed to have come to mind and it looked like it worked. Sans coughing turned into laughter until he winced as he clutched his sides.

He straightened back up but you could see how tired he was. “No need for a _purr_ amedic. I’m just sick.” Making sure to extend the ‘r’ sound as he said it.

“Obviously, sweetheart! You need to go home.” Mettaton said with an insistent voice. His hands on his hips. Mettamom mode in full activation. You snicker at that internal pun. _Mettamom_. That was something you wanted to see.

“Don’t worry. I will. I need to ask you a favor first Mettaton.” The jovial air in the room from the puns leaving as Sans’s face got serious.

“What is it?” Mettaton cocked his eyebrow at the stout skeleton curiously. The change in Sans’s face not going unnoticed by the both of you.

“As you can tell... I’m _bone_ tired from being sick.” Sans stated while gesturing to himself. “Meaning I can’t go to the PTA meeting at Frisk’s school tomorrow. Toriel can’t go because she has to deal with other school related things... So.. Can you go?”

Mettaton’s face turned stony at that. Just like it had strained a bit when it was brought up at the skelebro’s house. What was going on at these PTA meetings that would elicit this kind of reaction? “Nancy?” was all the robot asked. 

Sans nodded and that was it. You looked between the two confused. They both were in a mutual silence. What the hell? They were acting like a horrible thing was going to happen or maybe a war. If it was so bad... Maybe you could help? Suddenly you clapped your hands to get their attention and to also break the odd silence that had settled in the office. “May I come too?”

Both of them looked really uneasy at that. “Songbird... I don’t think you should... Some of those parents... Can be harsh.” Mettaton looked at Sans and the skeleton was nodding in agreement.

“I think I can handle some soccer moms.” You signed to them feeling slightly insulted. Why would a PTA meeting be that bad? There is always rude people in the world and it wouldn’t be the first time you had to deal with them.“Besides. If they have issues with you because you are monsters then maybe my presence could help.”

The two monsters looked at each other as they mulled over your offer. You tapped your foot impatiently until they seemed to reach a decision. Mettaton let out a weary sigh. “Songbird could possibly help us out... With a human siding with us... Nancy might back off.”

“Or she’ll just try to rip kiddo a new one.” Sans didn’t seem to like the idea. At all. “But then again, Nancy could surprise us. Just... If it starts to get bad...”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Mettaton moved to sit on the edge of his desk in thought.

Sans gave you a somber smile. “Looks like you get to go... Just... Tread carefully and don’t eat the lemon bars.”

You give him a confused nod. Why were they treating this like they were prepping you for war? Just who was ‘Nancy’ and why did they care so much? This was all really really weird.

“Darling, could you take Songbird home? I need to get some things put together for tomorrow just in case... But if its to much-” Mettaton began to say before he was cut off when Sans raised his hand.

“It’s not a problem. Let’s go, bud.” Sans said as he offered his hand out to you. Now you were really confused. Why was Mettaton sending you home? You hadn’t even begun your meeting on the album yet. You had literally sat down to talk no more than 10 minutes ago. But the pensive look on the robot idol’s face had you walking up and wrapping your arms around him in farewell. 

He hugs you back and even presses a kiss to the top of your head. You pull back while giving him a questioning look that goes unanswered. So you take Sans’s hand after closing your eyes and the familiar feeling of falling consumes you.

The plain walls of your living room materialized around you when you open your eyes. Sans sneezes loudly next to you and you bring him the nearby tissue box. He mutters a thanks. Man, he looked really bad. But you had to ask him the question that has been burning in your mind since he stopped by the office.

“What is wrong with these PTA meetings?”

Sans laughed at your clearly perplexed expression. “You’ll find out soon enough... Just... Be ready...” At that, he teleports out and you are left alone in your house.

Well then... It appears that this PTA meeting was going to be an experience. What had Toriel, Sans, and Mettaton had to deal with? Noted monsters had been generally accepted into society but there was still a few bad eggs who didn’t agree. Maybe there were a few parents who didn’t like monsters? 

Your brows knit together in anger at that. If that was true then you were prepared to put those people in their place. There was no way in hell you were going to let your friends be stepped on by some racist humans. 

So you head into your room and bring out your phone. While flopping onto your bed, you unlock it to find a couple of sweet texts from Mettaton that he had sent you a few days ago. They brought a smile to your face but now wasn’t the time to look at them. Instead, you opted for the app store and started looking for text to talk apps. If you were going to get into an argument then you couldn’t trust Mettaton to translate everything you sign. Especially if it got heated.

You needed to have your own voice. Once you downloaded a couple apps and found one you liked, you laid back on your bed in the darkness. Now that your hands weren’t typing away on your phone to get the digital voice to speak, a silence descended on the room.

Involuntarily shuddering, you went back to the most recent text Mettaton sent you. Opening it up, you asked him when he was going to pick you up tomorrow and when the PTA meeting was.

It didn’t take him long to respond back.

**Mettaton 2:10 pm**

**Sorry about kind of shooing you out, sweetheart. But since we are going to the PTA meeting I need to prepare for it. It starts at 5 pm. So I’ll be by to pick you up at around 4:30. Frisk should be waiting for us at the school.**

Frisk was going to be there? That’s cool. You always liked hanging out with the flirtatious monster ambassador. Though it was odd that they would be at the PTA meeting. Most times kids stayed home from that kind of thing. It’s not like kids like to sit and listen to all that boring stuff. Regardless, you were smiling.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**That sounds wonderful. But I have to warn you... The last time I was with the kid, they got a little _FRISKY_ with me. **

You sent the text off with several silent giggles as you reminisced the pick up pun that Frisk had used on you before the dough fight. It still sent you into giggle fits when you think about the kid hitting on you. Moments later your phone went off and you opened up Mettaton’s response.

**Mettaton 2:12 pm**

**Oh my, I may have some competition then. That child certainly has a way with words. They’ll steal you away if I’m not careful. What did they do?**

You immediately responded.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**They signed to me: whenever I see you, you leave me speechless.**

There was a few moments of silence until your phone went off again.

**Mettaton 2:20 pm**

**That is true... But you know. The first time I met you I looked for a signature, because every masterpiece has one.**

Damn, he was good. A small blush formed on your cheeks and you let the conversation trail off.

This is how the two of you have been treating each other since that fateful night. Puns. Playful teasing. It was nice. Whenever you wanted someone to text, Mettaton was there. He dropped whatever he was doing to make you his first priority.

Even if you texted him at 3 o’ clock in the morning.

Which you had done. Several times. To be honest, other than Sans and Papyrus’s visits, these interactions with Mettaton were the only thing keeping you above the cyclone of emotions that you seemed to hide rather well. Probably due to the years of experience that you had. They spun around inside you like an endless void of ‘What ifs’. That only seemed to rear its ugly head when you were alone.

You shook your head in an attempt to get rid of this train of thought as you felt the familiar feeling of sadness and helplessness start to manifest. Now wasn’t the time for this... You had a PTA meeting to prepare for. But it didn’t seem like they were going to listen to you.

Clutching your phone to your chest, you curled your body around it like a life line. The negative feelings that you had been fighting back overwhelming you. This wasn’t the first time it happened and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last.

Soon the fear and sadness of the death you would face faded into a dull numbness that seemed to overtake your body. It was in these moments of weakness that everything was laid out before you. Your life, you soon to be death, what you will be missing, what you will be leaving behind. Everything.

The first couple of times you laid in bed without feeling the want or need to get up, Sans had been there. He knew all to well what you were currently experiencing and he hadn’t left you alone until you were out of it. Or at least until you appeared to be. Now you understood why he always had a smile on his face. When you figured out that these feelings weren’t going away anytime soon... You started to hide them. There was no way you were going to keep being an inconvenience to Sans. Or Mettaton for that matter.

In this moment, everything you did seemed futile. What was the point? You were going to die and nothing would be left. The only thing left behind would be your one song and the memories that would haunt your friends and loved ones. Why even try? The numbness felt crippling as you clutched your phone even tighter. 

This could all go away. All you had to do was send Mettaton a text and he would be by your side in a heartbeat. Sans would also, normally, but you didn’t want to bother him while he was sick. He was feeling bad enough as it was without you dragging him down even more. Same went for Mettaton. He would be here but then he would have to postpone whatever he had planned for tomorrow’s meeting. Along with whatever else he had planned in his jam packed schedule.

There was no room for you.

Flicking on your phone, you scrolled back through the old messages that he had sent. The ones that you had saved just for this reason. Your eyes flew across the screen as you reread the sweet and calming messages that Mettaton had sent to you. Ones that had brought you out of this perpetual state of horrible emotions, numbness, and futility several times before. They always made the numbing feeling go away. Even if it was just for a little bit. 

You continued to read them for hours until finally sleep beckoned and you willingly fell into it’s embrace. The numbness receding in your dreamless sleep.


	29. Special Chapter War Edition pt 6

Light flickers across the screen on your phone as you kept tapping it to keep it from shutting off. Just as the screen went black again and you went to tap it back on, you heard the sound of the generators failing as the restaurant was plunged into darkness.

“SANS! WHAT HAPPENED?! WE WEREN’T EVEN CLOSE TO LOSING POWER!” You heard Papyrus pipe up in the now dark security office. The sound of the cameras closing could be heard in the pitch black room. 

Sans muttered a couple choice words under his breath “The wiring in this place is so faulty! How much longer do we need it?” He glances at you, his magic lighting up the room a bit, and you raise your hand with all 5 fingers splayed out. The last you checked, it was 5 am. You only needed enough power to last an hour. “I think can manage that... Hang on, lemme see if I can fix it. Paps! Take my side.” At that, you see the familiar blue magic envelope the stout skeleton as he teleports to a place unknown to you.

Papyrus immediately takes Sans’s place by the right door. The sound of Freddy’s music box could be heard from the stage area. You tense unconsciously. Nope. Not again. You weren’t going to deal with this crap.

“Why can’t we just teleport with Sans out of here?” You sign to Mettaton and Papyrus after clapping your hands to get their attention from the hallways for a second.

Mettaton catches you signing out of the corner of his eye and he waits a moment before he responds. “Well...It’s not like he hasn’t tried, sweetheart. That was kind of the first thing he tried when the power went out. He wanted to check the outside generators.”

Tried? What was stopping him? Your hands asked your thoughts the next glance you received from the robot idol. A rather unsettling look descended on Mettaton and Papyrus’s faces. They knew something. Something that they really didn’t want to tell you. But you weren’t about to back down. You were a part of this too. You had a right to know.

“Guys? Why can’t he teleport? What’s stopping us from bailing out right now?”

“Well... You see... Ugh I don’t know how to explain it properly.” Mettaton’s statement was cut short as Bonnie reared his ugly head into the room. With exceptional grace, Mettaton quickly got a hold of the bunny animatronic and kept it out of the office with his long arms.

It was odd. Other than the incident with Freddy, Mettaton never harmed these animatronics. Same with Sans. Well at least you assumed so. It was obvious that Freddy was fine because you could hear his music box coming down the hallway. If those bones had been put to use then you doubted that music box would be working.

Even though these robots were apart of your childhood, you wouldn’t mind the monsters using their magic and superior strength to just incapacitate them so you could leave. Actually, why didn’t they break the front door down while they were at it? This was all really really weird. It was around then Chica decided to make her own entrance and Papyrus caught her winged arms. Both monsters were now holding an animatronic out of the office so they wouldn’t get to you. Why didn’t they just get rid of them? Why? Surely the thought has crossed their minds. 

Wait... Why did Freddy’s music box stop?

Then... You saw it.

Freddy’s music filled the office as the bear animatronic materialized in the center of the room. His one good arm outstretched towards you. How... the HELL?! You scrambled with your back against the wall to a corner. Your frantic movement catching both Mettaton and Papyrus’s attention. 

“What the.. HANG ON, SONGBIRD!” Mettaton tried to hold Bonnie off with one hand but Foxy decided to join the fray. “Dammit all!” His once free hand now occupied with the charging robot fox.

“HUMAN! GET OVER HERE!” Papyrus was using one arm to hold Chica out in the hallway while the other was outstretched towards you. Quickly, you pulled yourself up and started toward Papyrus only to stop. Your eyes widening at Freddy.

The bear animatronic was standing completely still. A small heart was pulled out of it with a blue aura around it.

“I know, kiddo here is im-PAW-ssible to resist. But I would like it beary much if you kept your PAWS off.” A familiar deep voice behind you had you looking back to see Sans with his left eye lit up in brilliant cyan flames. The distant whirring sounds of the generators kicked back on and the lights flickered back to life, along with everything else.

Papyrus shoved Chica hard and stepped out of the way of the door. Freddy was lifted up and thrown out into the hallway with Chica. The clashing of metal echoing throughout the nearby rooms as the two animatronics collided against one another. Papyrus hit the door button and it swooshed closed, once again denying access to the demented things.

Mettaton made a grunting sound as he shoved the two he was grappling with hard. They stumbled back, giving him enough time to hit the door button and it closed like the other. Once again, the office was free of unwanted killer animatronics. 

You clambered down from the security desk that you were trying to climb over. “Sans... That didn’t look like your normal telekinetic powers...” You signed to him once you were back on the ground and facing him. 

His normal smile looked pasted on. “Yeah... That’s because it wasn’t...”

“That was a SOUL wasn’t it?” Mettaton and Papyrus eyed the floor uncomfortably while Sans scratched the back of his skull. Their reactions confirming your suspicions. 

Why? These animatronics were not made like Mettaton. They weren’t designed to house a SOUL. Let alone have one. So how did he..? WHY did Freddy have a SOUL? Your eyes traveled between your three monster companions. Trying to look for hints or clues in their faces. “Do they all have a SOUL?”

All three nodded their heads but refused to address the elephant in the room. Something wasn’t right. You knew way more about this place than they did. So how did they know something that you obviously didn’t?

Letting out a slightly aggravated sigh, you went over what you knew. Which is what you had told them earlier. First off, monsters have only been on the surface for a couple of years now. Meaning there was no way that these were boss monster souls haunting the suits. IF they could have survived that long. That meant the souls were human. But how? Can human souls possess things? How did they get in the suits.… Oh no.

Your head whipped around between all three of the monsters as you realized the truth. The missing kids with no bodies found, the awful odor, mucus and stuff coming from the animatronics... Oh good God! Why wasn’t this found out sooner?! Your legs gave out and you fell back to be caught by a rather fast moving Mettaton. “Easy now, Darling.…”

The kids... The kids were shoved into the suits! Your stomach was doing back flips as you began to feel nauseous. It’s no wonder they were hellbent on shoving others into that one in the spare parts room. That’s what happened to them. No wonder Mettaton, Sans, and Papyrus weren’t destroying them. If they did their vessels would be gone but wouldn’t that be for the better?

After getting over the initial shock, you looked at Sans. “How? How are the SOULS still in the suits?”

“Determination? Vengeance? You tell me, kiddo.” Sans shrugged at you before taking his spot back by the right side door. “All I know is... They don’t want us to leave until they get what they want. All 5 of their souls have such a strong will to keep us here that my magic can’t penetrate it and a kind of barrier has formed around the restaurant.”

“Barrier?”

“Kind of like the one that trapped all the monsters underground.. But on a much smaller scale.” Mettaton explained as he took his position after you were curled up in your spot on the floor.

“What Metta said. I can already feel the magic they cast on this place weaken as the night progressed. At 6 am it’ll more than likely be gone entirely but until then...” Sans hit his door button after checking to make sure the hallway was clear. “We are just gonna have to wait it out. I mean, seriously. It’s no wonder the challenge is to wait here until 6 am. You can’t leave otherwise.”

Papyrus sat back down at the security console and Mettaton opened his door after checking as well. You settled back down into the blanket. Pulling out your phone, you tapped it to turn the screen on.

5:30 am.

All you have to do is last a half hour, without the power failing on you again, and you were all in the clear. But even then... Could you leave it like this? Was there some way you can save those poor lost souls? They don’t deserve to be forever haunting the halls of this place. You would have to bring it up with Alphys later. This place had already taken a lot. Those kids deserved better.

It wasn’t long before 6 am finally came around. Your phone alarm blares the announcement and all the cameras flash in a haze of static. Papyrus flips through the cameras. Stopping on the one that shows the stage. 

There they were. All 3 of the animatronics that had made your night a living hell were back in their original positions. Like it never even happened. The only proof was that Freddy’s arm was missing. You bet if you went into Pirate’s Cove you would find Foxy with his muzzle scrunched up.

Not that you were going to look.

“Alright... That barrier is finally gone.” Sans held out his boney hand to you. “Let’s get you outside first. Lemme give you a hand.”

“Why thank you but I can be pretty handy.” you signed to the stout skeleton with a wink before grasping it and feeling the world descend around you.

In moments, you were standing outside in the abandoned parking lot. Sans released you once you were steady and then he was gone. Leaving you to look at the place that has now ruined lots of special moments of your childhood. It was in such a sorry state. You needed to do something about those lost souls. No one deserved a fate like this. 

No one.

You folded up the mangled blanket and set it on your uninjured shoulder. Using the rising sun as your light source, you finally got a chance to look over the wound that Foxy had inflicted upon you. To put it mildly... It looked bad. Blood had soaked through the blanket fabric but it seems to have dried. Mettaton did a good job wrapping it. You followed your shoulder to your neckline with your eyes. Several small punctures and scratches graced the parts of your upper chest that were visible. No doubt it was caused by Freddy’s earlier attempt to shove you in the suit.

In short, you looked like hell. You probably looked like an apocalypse survivor. So you stepped forward a bit and sat down on one of the nearby cement blocks in the parking spaces, with Mettaton joining you a few seconds later. There was no doubt that you looked bad because the moment he laid eyes on you he began fussing over you. Checking your shoulder and lightly hissing at the scratch marks on your body. He looked concerned but you could see the anger hidden in those eyes. There was no doubt that he was pissed that it even happened at all.

When Undyne and Alphys arrive to pick the three of you up, she is going to get torn a new one. If there was anything left then you bet Sans would be next and then Papyrus. Maybe you would get in a couple of choice words too. Heaven knows, she deserves it.

Soon Papyrus and Sans joined you outside. Their skeletal forms sitting opposite you and Mettaton. Sans was cracking his usual amount of puns as the three monsters talked but you could tell that tonight had exhausted him. Actually, you all looked exhausted. Papyrus didn’t have his usual pep in berating Sans’s puns as he usually did. Sans had some light blue sweat on his brow bone. No doubt all the teleporting around and the bone magic probably wore him out. Not to mention the lack of sleep between you all. Mettaton’s hair was messed up and he had several nasty scratches on the metal of his arms. Probably from when he was holding back Bonnie and Foxy at the same time. After tonight, you all looked like you had been through hell and back. Which, now that you think of it... You probably did. 

With a tired yawn, you slumped against Mettaton. His arm automatically wrapping around your waist to avoid touching your shoulder. It was another 15 minutes before a familiar black sedan made its way into the parking lot. The four of you stood up and headed towards them as Undyne and Alphys got out of the vehicle.

“Morning, Punks! Have a good nigh-…. What happened to you?” Undyne’s broad grin drops as she takes in the four of you. Her eyes eventually stopping on the bloody bandage on your shoulder. Alphys claps her hands to her mouth at the sight.

Without a word, you stood up and tossed Undyne the blanket from your shoulder while stepping forward. Mettaton, Sans, and Papyrus flanking you. She caught it with ease and kept her worried eye on you until you stopped right in front of her.

You looked her straight in the eye. “We survived.” Your hands both flipping her off after you signed those two words. At that, you watched her eyes grow wide in shock at you actions. She had never seen you do that before. You kept them up for a few more seconds, before walking around her and getting into the car. A very worried Alphys following right behind. 

“O-oh my... It l-looks like you just got out of a war zone!” She stammered out as she fussed over your body just like Mettaton had done prior. A silent bitter laugh had you wincing as her hands were dancing over your shoulder.

“That’s kind of what happened...” You signed to her as you looked beyond your open car door to Undyne, Mettaton, Sans and Papyrus.

Mettaton and Sans, both had stepped towards the fish lady rather calmly. But that only lasted until they had gotten close. Now they were both laying into her at how dangerous the night had been. The emotions of the two monsters so strong that it was manifesting their magic. Pink sparks were bristling around Mettaton as his voice carried over the parking lot while Sans’s eye was lit up and the flames flickered against his skull.

A small smile graced your lips as you watched the two have at it. Papyrus only stepping in to calm them down before someone lost a head. Your eyes wandered past the monsters to the run down building. The nagging feeling of needing to do something eating away at your heart.

You looked over to Alphys as she worked on checking you over. She was so focused that you had to tap her arm to get her attention. You could tell that she was beating herself up about the poor state you were in. Which if she hadn’t of helped Undyne restore power to the pizzeria, you weren’t sure if you would be alive at all. “Y-yes, (y/n)?”

“Alphys... I need your help.” You managed to sign to her despite your drooping eyelids.

“You need a human doctor for thi-”

“No no.. Not for this. Will you help me?”

“W-well of course!” the yellow dinosaur monster practically yelled at you. Her resolve to make it up to you burning in her eyes. “What do you need help with?”

“What do you know about SOULS?” Your eyes were back on the restaurant so you didn’t see her flinch at what you signed to her. To be honest, you didn’t want to go back inside but if you were going to ensure those kids a happy ending.

One more time wouldn’t hurt.

 

**Special Chapter War Edition END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N  
> And with this final installment The Call Of A Mute Heart x FNAF crossover comes to a close. Thanks so much for the support that everyone has given me for this silly idea! This was a lot of fun to write and I'm kinda sad it's over. Anyway this isn't the end of The Call Of A Mute Heart. Just this side story within it.


	30. Chapter 21

“Remember, Songbird... If it gets to be to much for you, you can leave. Frisk would probably enjoy having someone to play with.” Mettaton stated as he held open the door to the school for you. “I just got you as my own and I’ll be damned if a PTA meeting is the reason that you end up hospitalized.” You gave him a rather confused look as you walked past him into the school’s threshold. What could happen at a PTA meeting that could cause you to have an attack? Actually, what hasn’t made you have small attacks lately? In an attempt to distract away from this train of thought, you look around the entrance that you were currently in. It’s halls now vacant of all the students that would normally fill it.

A certain small student came barreling down the hallway to your right and wrapped their tiny arms around your legs as much as they could. The force of their body making you stumble back a couple of steps. You heard excited giggles from the child as you reached down to pat their mop of brown hair. It wasn’t long before Mettaton had followed in behind you and noticed your new tag-a-long. His long arms swept Frisk up into a hug with their giggles escalating in glee. “Hello there, Adorable~! I hope that you weren’t waiting to long by yourself?”

Frisk shook their head and happily returned the robot idol’s hug. “No. There are a couple other kids here who are waiting for the meeting too.” They signed as Mettaton led you down the various hallways with Frisk in his arms. It was obvious that this wasn’t his first rodeo.

“Well, that’s good. Are you all going to sit in with us or...?” You signed to Frisk while following next to Mettaton, who had slowed his long strides so that it was easier for you to follow. 

Their face turned hard for a moment before shaking their head. “These meetings can be scary. I just wanna grab some snacks before heading to the gym where everyone else is.” They tapped Mettaton so that he could put them down. When their feet hit the ground, they dashed down the hall and into a nearby classroom. The room that probably held the PTA meeting that everyone seemed to be dreading.

Mettaton had stopped walking so the two of you were standing in the middle of the vacant locker lined hallway. Motivational posters with cute animals and kids drawings lining the walls above. You looked up at him to see that he was wearing the same expression that he had yesterday when talking with Sans. The normal calming air that a school should have was now intense. “Hey... Are you okay? Why are you so tense?” You lightly nudged him to get the robot’s attention and pull him from his thoughts.

He looks at you before letting out a rather frustrated sigh. “I’m pretty sure you already figured this out yesterday, Sweetheart, but... Even though monsters have been accepted by almost the entire world... Even loved.” At this, he gave you a playful wink. “There are still a small group who don’t have the best opinion of monsters.”

“I’m assuming ‘don’t have the best opinion’ is, you, sugar coating it a lot.” You cocked an eyebrow at him as your hands said it. Mettaton’s lips formed a small smile at the playful sass you were emitting. 

“You are indeed correct, beautiful.” He said as Frisk waltzed out of the classroom holding a plate of goodies. It had some rice crispy treats, cookies, along with some veggies and dip. They headed up to you and gave you a one armed hug of encouragement before heading off in the direction of the gym. Mettaton watched them go before turning back to you. “Well, it’s almost 5. We better get in there.”

“Relax. We got this!” You puff out your chest proudly and give Mettaton an encouraging thump on his back.

He chuckled at your enthusiasm. A real smile now on his features. “I hope you’re right, Darling.” At that, he turns to face the classroom. “Time to put on the best acting of my life.” Taking the lead, he heads down the hallway and opens the door for you with a grand flourish.

Silently giggling at his antics, you give him a playful curtsy and walk into the room. Several parents were already there. Some were off in their own little groups while others were already sitting at the chairs that were in the center of the room. The rectangle tables of the art room had been pushed together in the middle to form a giant square with the chairs all around it. Off to the right, there were a couple of tables that had food on them. One end had the more healthy options with veggie trays and the like while the other held a couple platters of cookies, rice crispy treats, brownies, and lemon bars.

The only things untouched were the brownies and lemon bars. They looked delicious but you decided to avoid them for the moment. If other people weren’t eating them then there had to be a good reason. That or people hadn’t had a chance to get to them yet. Your eyes wandered around as you took in the rest of the room. Whenever you made eye contact with one of the other adults you made sure to give them a genuine smile. Most returned it until your eyes landed on a woman with red hair that had obviously been dyed. You could see the stains from the dye left on the skin at her hair line. She was standing next to the classroom’s dry erase board just finishing writing the list for today’s agenda.

Her eyes met yours and they narrowed suspiciously at the two of you. Which immediately made you uneasy. “Sorry but this is for parents only. Who are you?” The woman’s voice was commanding. Bitter. Authoritative. It also had a slight arrogant sneer to it that made it feel like she was superior to you in every way. You decided that you didn’t like this woman very much.

Mettaton stepped forward. His hand casually flicking a couple stray black locks of hair out of his eyes. “Oh, Nancy, Sweetie! It’s been awhile but there is no way that you could forget a _fabulous_ person such as myself. (y/n) and I are here because Sans and Toriel couldn’t attend today.” His voice was sultry and sweet. You wouldn’t have noticed that anything was wrong with him until you looked at his face. The smile that was once genuine was now strained. But it was highly unlikely that anyone other than people close to the ghost robot would notice.

Nancy continued to look a the two of you but then turned to a brunette haired woman. They began whispering in hushed voices. Their demeanor dismissing you. So this was the infamous Nancy. Great. You just walked in and they were already gossiping about you. At least she wasn’t going to kick you out. Though you were beginning to see why Sans, Mettaton, and Frisk didn’t like these meetings. It was obvious that this woman didn’t like monsters with the way she kept looking back at Mettaton with a look of disgust. Nancy was also giving you some curious glances as to why you were here with the robot. It didn’t look like she was going to ask you though. So you moved to sit at the center end of the table. Both you and Mettaton the complete opposite of where Nancy stood by the dry erase board at the head of the room.

A few more minutes go by before everyone else makes there way to the chairs. Once everyone is settled in their seats, Nancy clears her throat to address the crowd. “Hello, Everyone. Since there are some new people here, I will take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Nancy Williams and I’m the President of this PTA. It makes me happy to see that all of you would come out to help support the school and it’s endeavors to bring the best experience to all of it’s students.” She had a sickly sweet smile on her face and it was directed right at you and Mettaton. The spiel she gave you sounding like it was entirely scripted. Then again it probably was. You gave her a bright smile in return. Maybe killing the woman with kindness would work. “Today we are going to go over and vote on these topics: Plans for the next class field trips, the lunch menus and the school’s fundraiser to help fund the new gym.”

Other than the slightly rude entrance, this PTA meeting was going on rather normally. By normally, you meant boring. Nancy droned out the various ideas that she had for the field trips that the different classes could take. A couple parents put up other ideas for their kid’s grade including the one woman that Nancy had been whispering to earlier. They went grade to grade and it took all of your willpower to not fall asleep in your chair.

Your interest didn’t come back until Mettaton was offering to give the students a free tour of his studio. That way they could see behind the scenes of how some of their favorite TV shows are run and made. It was actually a pretty good idea. Better than the supermarket one that Helen, the brunette from earlier, seemed to keep pushing. Super markets are fun but the kids often went with their parents anyway. So why have a field trip to one? It didn’t take long for the majority of the parents to take Mettaton up on his generous offer. Much to Nancy’s obvious disgust but much to the parent’s, who were obvious fans, delight. Who would pass up a free tour of a popular TV/music studio?

Not long after, Nancy erased the field trip entry from the board. Then she began asking Mettaton when it would be a good day to set this up and similar questions. Even though she didn’t like it the majority had decided. It wasn’t long until the next agenda item, lunch menus, was up. By this point you were feeling a bit peckish and it wasn’t like you had anything to contribute to this part of the conversation. If the parents wanted to argue what day sloppy joes were on... Then they could.

So you stood up and wandered over to the snack tables. Mimicking Frisk, you picked up some of your favorite veggies with dip. All the while making sure there was room on the plate for the other goodies. You glanced back at the group. It didn’t appear as though they had noticed your brief absence. Even Mettaton looked like he was going to fall asleep. His eyes were glazed over with his head resting in his hand while he leaned forward over the table. He was just as bored as you were.

Maybe he would like a snack to.

Moving over to the baked goods, you grab two of everything there. Including the lemon bars. Maybe you would like them after all. Who knows? Once you had your little snack haul, you made your way back to your seat. Without even looking, Mettaton grabbed one of the cookies and started munching on it. A few parents giving the robot a confused look. They probably were curious as to how he could eat in the first place just like you had been. All they had to do was ask but you doubted they would.

Everything on your plate looked good. Deciding to figure out if the lemon bars truly needed to be avoided, you picked one of the two up. It looked like a lemon bar. Smelled like a lemon bar. It should be a lemon bar.

“Songbird.… You don’t want to do that...”

You glanced up to see Mettaton watching you out of the corner of his eye. Everyone else was still talking about the lunch menu. You cock your eyebrow at him curiously. There was no way to know if you would hate them or not until you tried it. So ignoring Sans’s warning from yesterday and Mettaton’s warning now, you take a decent sized bite.… And immediately spit it out on the floor.

The taste was indescribable. Not only that, it was so hard you might have chipped a tooth. Somehow it tasted like they were made with salt, a whole bag of lemons, and.…cardboard? All rolled into one. In a desperate attempt to get the horrid taste off your tongue, you shoved some veggies with dip into your mouth. Hoping the dip would negate the flavor... But it didn’t work. Tears started to form as the sour continued to grow in strength even though the food in question wasn’t in your mouth anymore.

At this point, Mettaton was having trouble hiding his laughter which was getting everyone’s attention on the two of you instead of the lunch menu. You sent him a glare then grabbed the hem of your shirt and used it to wipe your poor tongue. Screw looking nice in front of these people. Your mouth was dying. You continued to frantically drag the fabric across your tongue until the taste ebbed away and all you could taste now was the fibers from your shirt. Which didn’t really have a taste but you didn’t care.

“Good God! What were in those?!” You frantically signed to Mettaton with your eyes still watering, once you had recovered from the traumatic ordeal enough to sign. A look of pure horror was on your face. “It was like... The world’s saltiest cardboard lemon combined with cement was just mashed into a pan!”

“I tried to warn you..” He began between his vain attempts of holding back his laughter. 

“‘Songbird... You don’t want to do that’ isn’t a warning. It’s a comment.” Your hands flew with the words. Even going so far as to silently mouth the words in a mock Mettaton impersonation. “Those... Things need a hazardous materials label on them because those things need to be _condemned_!” Mettaton was now laughing wholeheartedly. The only thing that stopped him was Nancy’s shrill voice that seemed to fill the entire classroom.

“So it’s **you**!” Nancy was pointing an accusing finger in your direction. Your traumatic experience with the lemon bars temporarily forgotten as you looked at the red haired woman in confusion. She looked absolutely livid. Her gaze was piercing and you were left slightly panicking on what you did to make this lady mad at you. Your heart rate going so far as to pick up a bit in the process.

Looking around the room with confusion, in an attempt to see if anyone else knew what you did, you ended up just looking back at Nancy and signing “Yeah... It’s me.? I’m the only me there is?”

Without hesitating, Mettaton translated for you. He was also giving Nancy a confused look. His laughter at your predicament completely gone. Seems like you two weren’t the only ones confused. A lot of the other parents were confused as well.Nancy’s eyes narrowed even more at Mettaton. “Don’t you enable her! She’s the person teaching Frisk those bad manners with their hands isn’t she?!” Nancy’s fist hit the table in front of her as she demanded to get the information. The red haired woman had a slight smile on her angry face. Like she figured out something and finally could use it on someone. That someone being Mettaton and yourself.

However... Frisk? Bad manners? You haven’t met a more well behaved kid. The only downside could be if they flirted to much but that was something rather minor. Since they seemed to know when to stop. What the hell was Nancy talking about? You asked that last sentence and the ghost robot nodded his head to you in agreement. Mettaton’s eyes had narrowed slightly at Nancy for slighting Frisk but he was still just as confused as you. “I would have to agree with Songbird here. What the hell are you talking about, Nancy? Frisk is a model student!”

“Isn’t it obvious? You monsters have been telling me since you started coming here that Frisk was selectively mute and not using the hand flapping as a way to get attention. But it obviously IS. Your friend here proves that Frisk is just modeling their behavior off of an adult who also wants attention! How is it not a coincidence?” She gives you an evilly smug but predatory look. Like she had just figured you out and had you in a corner. “It’s no wonder Frisk acts the way they do. They are surrounded by monsters and bad role models! So just as I ask Frisk in class... I demand that you speak with your voice and not your distracting hands!”

She. Did. _Not_. 

You were out of your chair and on your feet in the blink of an eye. “How dare you say such racist and bigot remarks! Frisk has a right to choose if they want to speak or not. It isn’t _YOUR_ decision to make. It’s not like it’s hard to learn sign language. Which, by the way, is a real language. Not hand flapping!” Your hands were signing at a rapid fire pace but Mettaton was keeping up with ease. If she was demanding that you stop using your hands then she was demanding that you not speak. The same went for Frisk. How dare she think that she has the right to take that away!

Mettaton placed a calming hand on your shoulder before you could go on a full rant and you sat back down. Taking deep breaths to calm your elevated heart rate that had picked up as the anger in your body escalated. The robot idol turned back to Nancy once he was sure you weren’t going to jump over the tables to throttle the woman. “Also.. Nancy, Darling. There is a couple things horribly... _horribly_ wrong with your accusation.” Mettaton’s voice was sultry but sickly sweet. He had a friendly demeanor but you could sense the underlying threatening aura that the robot monster was emitting. It was making the nearby parents rather uncomfortable.

“What’s that?” the woman practically spat at him in disdain. She wasn’t happy to be contradicted but seemed to be expecting it. Did Sans and Toriel have to deal with her all of the time?

“Reason one: Songbird here just started being a part of our little family about a half a year ago. Frisk has been selectively mute since before you met them after they enrolled here a year ago. Kinda hard to pick that up from a role model they didn’t know yet and two..” Mettaton’s tone took a threatening turn. “Songbird isn’t like Frisk who doesn’t want to speak but can if they absolutely have too. Which they have the right not to speak if they wish. She can’t speak. So how **dare** you demand her to silence one of the only ways that she can use to communicate with us.” Mettaton’s words were like piercing icicles. Nancy’s face went white as the blood drained from her face.

“W-what?” Nancy’s voice had a slight shake to it as she realized her mistake.

Yet, Mettaton wasn’t going to let it slide. “You heard me just fine. But I’ll elaborate because I’m generous. Songbird. Is. _MUTE_.” 

Everyone was watching in silence. You watched as their faces darted between the pure anger that was you and Mettaton to the white one that was Nancy’s. The red haired woman let the words sink in. Realizing the repercussions of what she said, she stood tall and coughed as though to clear her throat. “So... How about having a salad option along with the normal meal on the menu?”

Nancy’s attempt to change the subject hung in the air for several tense moments until one of the other parents spoke up on it. Mettaton went to say something but you caught his shoulder. Shaking your head at him when he turned to look at you. There was no point in pursuing the argument right now. Everyone here had heard what Nancy had said. She had just demanded that a mute person was trying to get attention and told them to stop. With those words, Nancy had dug her own grave with all the parents in this room. The damage was done. She knew it too. No point in dragging it out.

Things settled back to the way they were before. Only with a slight new intensity in the air between the PTA President and the two of you. Soon enough the lunch menu was taken off the agenda list and Nancy was announcing the last item. “Alright. Despite some... Hiccups. Everything is going smoothly. Now our school needs a new gym thus we have decided to do a fundraiser. We don’t want to do those ones where kids sell magazine subscriptions or random items. It’s been proven in past years that we don’t make a lot from those so we need a new approach. Any ideas?”

“Why don’t we have an auction? It can have anything in it. Furniture, clothes, toys, baked goods. Everyone can donate so that it’ll be free and all proceeds can go directly to the school.” One of the parent’s spoke up but everyone was nodding in agreement. It was a great idea. No one could think of anything to top it.

“Perfect. However, I vote that all of the baked goods be gluten free and with sugar substitutes.” Nancy stated after writing something down on the clipboard she had.

“Excuse me, but... What is gluten free exactly?” you signed genuinely curious. You knew some people were allergic to it but you hadn’t really come in contact with it yourself. 

Nancy seemed to brighten at the question despite Mettaton translating for you. “My lemon bars are a fantastic example of gluten free.”

NANCY MADE THOSE ABOMINATIONS?!

Sensing an argument and not wanting to bother Mettaton with translating, you pull out your phone. Bringing up the text to talk app that you downloaded yesterday, with practiced hands your fingers flew across the keys. Turning the phone you held it up and hit the go button so it could speak for you. 

“We would end up making a gym out of your lemon bars.” The female electronic voice spoke everything accurately. 

Mettaton was quick to back you up. “Nancy, Darling... After everything you have said and done... There has to be a reason! Who hurt you, Nancy? I understand that gluten is bad for some but please give the poor small humans a choice.”

“We are making the healthy choice for them! Sugar makes kids fat and children can be allergic to gluten! It’s the obviously correct choice that all baked good entries should fall into that criteria.” Nancy stated while making an indignant sniffing sound at Mettaton. “I’ll have you know that I’ve read up on the matter and...” No one could stop her now. Nancy went on and on about how unhealthy gluten is. She stated her sources and people she knew. Helen was nodding her head in agreement with everything the red haired woman said. It was like she was preaching the truth to life for all Helen knew.

You propped your head up on your hand. Your eyelids drooping as Nancy’s droning was putting you to back sleep. She wasn’t the only one she was putting to sleep. Several of the other parents were in the same boat as you or not doing much better. Mettaton wasn’t doing to good either. Actually... Was he okay? The sound of the fans in his chest had dwindled down so that you could barely hear them. His eye lights were dimming as though he was running out of power.

Wait... Was Mettaton running out of power?! Just as that thought hit your mind, Mettaton’s body slumped heavily onto the table with a loud clang that had everyone looking in your direction. Concerned, you gently shook Mettaton’s still form. Had his new upgrade messed up already? It was possible. There was no way to know when something could have broken or decided to not work. His eyes were closed and with his upper chest on the table you couldn’t look at the lights to tell if he was out of power or not. What were you supposed to do?! It’s not like you could lift him!

Then your eyes went wide. You watched as a pink ghost drifted out of Mettaton’s back and floated above his body. Everyone was eyeing the new addition in complete and utter shock. The ghost’s eyes blinked open like he had just awoken from a deep sleep. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on his still body, which the ghost tsked in annoyance at.

“Oh... My word, Nancy... You’re so _boring_ that I’m actually having an out of body experience.” The ghost stated matter-of-factly.

Your eyes grew wide. Did Mettaton just... Did he just..? The pink ghost turned in your direction and gave you a knowing wink. Oh, he did! You clapped your hands to your mouth as the torrent of silent laughter shook your entire being. You laughed so hard that you ended up falling out of your chair. Everyone was looking at the two of you confused or with concern. You for laughing so hard you fell on the floor and for Mettaton who... was now a ghost. It probably wasn’t as funny to them because they didn’t know that Mettaton was originally a ghost. 

The pink ghost turned from you and addressed everyone in the room. “Now gluten is all well and good but I doubt we will sell that many baked goods that way. Not everyone likes them or are willing to try them. So all in favor of having normal baked goods AND gluten free ones?” Almost all the parents rose their hands and Mettaton turned to Nancy with a smug look. “That looks like we have our vote for that. Anything else that we need to discuss?”

Nancy blinked when she realized that she was being spoken to. Shaking her head to pull herself out of her amazed stupor, she wrote a note down and erased the last item from the agenda. “N-no... I think that’s it.”

“Fabulous, Darling~! Meeting adjourned!” At that, the pink ghost drifted back into the body and Mettaton sat back up with a stretch. Completely fine and fully functional. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s go get Frisk and then check on Sans. The poor sick boy probably needs some company.” He stood up and offered his hand to help you up from the floor. 

You didn’t need to be asked twice. You quickly took it and followed beside Mettaton as he led the way to the gym. “How did you do that?”

“What do you mean, sweetheart? I’m a ghost after all.” He chuckled before gently rustling your hair.

“I know that. But HOW did you do it? You told me that you couldn’t do that kind of thing because of how your body works.” The memories of laying in his lap in the back of the van in Germany resurfacing for a bit.

“My my! Smart, gorgeous, and a good listener. It seems I hit the jackpot with you.” Mettaton leaned in to place a gentle kiss on the tip of your nose making you blush as you playfully pushed him away. Kisses later. Answers now. “But you are right that wasn’t my real ghost form... Since, technically, I don’t have it anymore. Remember those... ‘things’ I hinted at yesterday?”

You nodded your head. “Wait...”

Mettaton’s eyes sparkled as you realized it but confirms your suspicions anyway. “That’s right, beautiful~. I went to Alphys so that I could project my old body. It wasn’t real but it was effective.”

“You made Alphys make you a projection so that you could say that ONE line?!”

“That I did~”

“I’m so proud of you!” Your hands signed before you jumped up to wrap your arms around his shoulders in a hug. Mettaton easily catches you and laughs at your reaction. Only Sans would go so far for a joke but Mettaton had proven himself worthy. You had to tell everyone once you had the chance!

He wraps one of his arms under your thighs and moves so that he is now carrying you with one arm. Your head now level with his. “Well.. I do aim to please my favorite fan~” Mettaton purrs into your neck as he nuzzles his face into the crook of your shoulder. His lips making you silently giggle from the ticklish sensation. You hear a shriek of disgust and look over Mettaton’s shoulder to see Nancy looking at the two of you completely aghast. Oh? She doesn’t like innocent flirting? Maybe she doesn’t like you flirting with a monster? Well then... You give Nancy an evil look before nuzzling Mettaton’s cheek and moving to lightly nibble his ear. He jumps slightly at your actions but you weren’t paying attention to him. The shocked look on Nancy’s face was priceless.

You slipped your phone out of your pocket to sneakily snap a picture for Sans. You couldn’t wait to tell him everything as you saved the picture and showed it to Mettaton without moving from your position.

Getting Nancy back had felt good. Mettaton’s melodic laughter was just an added bonus.


	31. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Everyone! Sorry for the delay. I just got a new job and as such my updating times depend on when I get off work. As I have said before I update every Monday! Today is Monday for me!

Bored.

Bored.

Bored.

BORED!

You looked up from your odd laying position on the couch. Your feet were propped up against the glass of the window behind it and your head was skimming the top of the floor. Why is there such a thing as time off? Normally, you wouldn’t have minded it as much but there was nothing for you to do! And in order to keep the dark thoughts at bay you had to somehow keep distracted. It didn’t help matters that everyone seemed to be busy today. So here you were watching TV upside down from your odd position on the couch. Not caring how much blood was rushing to your head. It was better than nothing.

The sound of a polite knock on your door had you sitting up so fast that you ended up toppling off the couch and on to the floor in a heap. A slight dizziness overwhelming you from the blood and sudden shift in position. Now wasn’t the time. It wasn’t like you could call out and say “Hey! Hold on a sec, I’m coming!”. If you didn’t get to the door at a reasonable time, the person might assume you aren’t home and just leave.

Standing up, you dash over to the front door and pull it open. Revealing a rather tall monster. One that you knew that you had seen before but weren’t sure where. She appeared to be some kind of goat monster. The first thing you noticed was her kind eyes. Her whole being seemed to give off a peaceful motherly vibe. She had beautiful white fur with floppy ears that took all your willpower to not reach out and touch. A wonderful smell greeted your nose. It was then you realized that she came bearing a gift.

A pie.. and it smelled amazing. The goat monster offered you a kind smile before speaking. “Hello, (y/n). It is wonderful to officially meet you in person. My name is Toriel. I’m Frisk’s caretaker.”

Your eyes widened at the realization. She was the goat lady at the park where you had met Frisk for the first time. So this was their mother? You gave her a nice smile back and stepped out of the way while gesturing inside. “Hello! Please come on in!” Your hands signed it as she passed through the door way. You led her into the living room and she placed the hot pie on top of the coffee table. “Where’s Frisk?”

“They are in school currently. I would be working but I have accumulated to much off time at the school. Since I lose it at the end of the year, I decided to take the day off.” Toriel’s eyes politely scan the room that she was in as she settled on the couch that you had just occupied a few moments prior. “You have such a nice and tidy home!”

You knew this was supposed to be a compliment but that didn’t stop you from internally wincing. It wasn’t that your house was nice and tidy. It was more along the lines that you didn’t have many decorations. The walls were void of picture frames, art, or anything decorative. Your shelves holding books and the like but not many knickknacks. The only really decorated rooms in your house were your bedroom and music room. The others were just bland. Maybe you could ask Mettaton for some help with that later.

Despite your internal monologuing you had a guest to care for! You asked if she would like something to drink and she kindly asked if you had any tea. The last time you checked you did. So you nodded your head and went into the kitchen. The first spot you checked was the pantry. No tea. Next was the cabinets. No tea there. Maybe you put it the fridge? Nope. It was just as barren as your pantry and cabinets were. Tea wasn’t the only thing gone. You didn’t have a lot of stuff in here at all. When was the last time you went shopping?

Glancing at the calendar on the front of the fridge your heart dropped. Three weeks?! It’s been three weeks since your last decent shopping trip?? No wonder your kitchen was almost completely void of food. If it wasn’t for the fact that you bounced around your permanent room at MTT Resort and here, you would have noticed this sooner. Even then, you hadn’t been eating the best. Most of the stuff you had here at home was quick and easy. Not good and nutritious. The resort was a different matter. You could pick anything from the menu with no charge. Mettaton didn’t care.

“My child, is there something wrong… oh my!”

Toriel’s soft voice had you looking up from the bottom of the pantry where you were looking in a last ditch effort. The kitchen was bare. Your fridge was wide open along with all of your cabinets from your earlier attempt to find tea. This probably made you look rather bad. The mildly shocked expression on Toriel’s face proved your thought. Yep. This definitely looked bad. You watched as the shocked expression was replaced with one that kind of reminded you of your mother. Her eyes left from where she was looking at the sparse cabinets down to you on the floor. “We are going shopping this instant!” Toriel’s tone taking on that of a mother lightly scolding a child.

The child being you. When you stand up, she ushers you out of the house to her minivan. Only pausing by the entryway so that you can put your shoes on and so that you can lock the front door behind you. Sliding into the passenger seat, you look at Toriel who was in full mom mode. She put the key in the ignition and you were off.

This was going a little overboard but at the same time you kind of liked it. The basket that you were pushing was full of fresh vegetables along with some frozen ones. Lots of other healthy foods filled it as well. You watched as Toriel put in a couple more things into the cart without consulting you if you liked it or not. The only thing she had asked was if you had any allergies. Which you had none. With that one thing Toriel had completely taken over this shopping trip and you didn’t object.

She would comment on how unhealthy certain foods were or say how good this would go with that. Not really speaking to you. More out loud to herself than an actual attempt at conversation. You looked at the food in the cart taking note of some of it. There was a few things you haven’t tried before. Looks like you would be finding out if you liked it soon enough. A few things in there you also didn’t like but Toriel was so in the zone that you didn’t have the heart to stop her. Even though you were pretty sure she would apologize and put it back, if you told her your opinion on it. However, being fretted over as though you were a child was something that hasn’t happened to you in a long time. It was nice.

Eventually, the two of you got to the check out and you pulled your wallet out to pay for the groceries. A white furry paw pushed your wallet down gently in refusal. “Don’t you worry about it, my child. I will handle this.”

Did she think you were poor? You were far from it! Mettaton gave you a decent salary. Such a decent salary that you weren’t sure what to do with it all. It was just that you had been so busy that you hadn’t noticed how bare the kitchen had gotten. When you relayed this information to Toriel, she laughed. “I’m sorry but that is not my intent. It’s just that you let me pick whatever I thought best for you with no complaints! These would be more my groceries instead of yours.”

“But aren’t you a teacher? Don’t teachers get the bad end when it comes to paychecks?” You signed to her curiously. Not to be rude. Just curious.

Toriel gave you somber smile. “Well that may be true but I can assure that we are well off. Though it was hard to find work in the beginning, most monsters have pretty decent jobs now. One of the first monsters to land a job was Mettaton. He got a movie contract and from then on he would give those monsters in need some financial aid without ever asking anything in return. To be honest, he still gives Asgore and I a small amount every other month on the dot. Sometimes I wonder if he had it automated and forgot about it or if he just wants to keep doing it.” She gave you a kind smile while the cashier finished ringing the last of the groceries up. “I try to donate and help with any excess. So I don’t think he will mind if I use some of it to… spoil you a bit.” At this, Toriel gives you a sly wink that brought a bright blush to your face.

Of course, she would know about you and Mettaton. Frisk was her child. But the fact that Mettaton helped his fellow monsters like that was humbling. You don’t know many humans who would do something like that for their fellow humans. Most charities are (now) just a type of big business after all. So in the end Toriel was right. You had let her pick them out and if she really wanted to mother you this way then you were going to let her. You’ll just have to find a way to pay back her kindness another day.

You point to the rack of candy bars and give Toriel a pleading look. “Can I have one?”

“Of course, my child. You have been a very good girl.” Toriel made a show of patting the top of your head. You knew that she was teasing you in how you were purposely acting like a child but you didn’t care. You reached down and grabbed your favorite candy bar then handed it to the clerk.

This… was amazing. Your eyes watered tears of pure bliss as you brought another bite of pie to your mouth. You were currently sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table while Toriel sat across from you on the couch. After getting back from shopping and putting the groceries away, the pie had had enough time to properly cool. Toriel let out a chuckle at your reaction while taking a sip of the tea that you had made. “I’m glad you like it. I baked it with fire magic instead of in the oven. It’s the best way to make it I think.”

Your head nodded vigorously up and down in agreement. The only monster made food you had before was Grillbys and his burgers were phenomenal. You especially loved how the bites seemed to disappear and your body would get this feeling of energy flowing through it. Was all monster food like this? If so it’s no wonder that its a big hit among humans. You continued to munch on the piece of pie in utter bliss. Making sure to wash it down with some tea every now and again. Toriel watched with a motherly smile on her features. “Thank you…”

You blinked. Toriel had mumbled it so lightly that you had barely caught it.

What the hell? Why was she thanking you? If anything you should be thanking her! If she hadn’t of come there was no doubt that you would have succumbed to the dark thoughts that plague you when you are alone. Not only that but she made you an amazing pie, took you shopping, and bought said groceries. You immediately began thanking her while you finished off the bite you still had in your mouth. That was one thing that you enjoyed immensely since you were a kid. You could “talk” with your mouth full and it wasn’t considered rude.

Toriel shakes her head. “No. Thank you, (y/n). You’ve helped in me a few times without me actually having met you. Remember that day at the park?”

Of course, you did. There was no way that you could have forgotten. You nodded your head in confirmation while giving her a confused look. Where was Toriel going with this?

“Wonderful. Well I may not be able to see SOULs like Sans can but… I can sense them.” Toriel began. Her eyes glazing over as if it was watching the memory over again. “I knew there was someone in the bushes not far from where you sat but the thing is… I can’t tell the difference between an adult or a child. If they were pure or had a malicious intent. Regardless, I kept a close eye on it but didn’t act. After all, what if it was just a child playing?”

She settled back into your couch before she continued. “It wasn’t to long after that you stood up from your bench and approached Frisk and MK. I tried to stay discreet but I watched you like a hawk. The thing with humans that I have learned since coming back to the surface is this… Some of the kindest appearing humans are the worst whereas some of the worst appearing humans are some of the best souls you’ll ever meet.” Toriel gave you an apologetic smile. “Please forgive me for being a bit protective of Frisk but with them being the monster ambassador it wouldn’t be the first time they were targeted.”

“So I kept an eye on you and the SOUL in the bushes. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out that you were truly a kind person. Frisk has an unusual ability of perception. They can often tell if someone is good or bad with just a glance. As such, I have grown to trust their judgment on people they meet. When you began signing to the two of them it was then I knew that you weren’t a threat. But I did find it rather odd that you just randomly approached the two children.” Toriel paused to take another sip of tea. “Most babysitters stick to their own kids and strangers approaching kids aren’t taken lightly. So there had to be a reason for it. You had your phone out so maybe you had a question for them? I didn’t know. But your intentions became known soon enough.”

“When you started to play with them, I could already tell you were tired and weren’t doing it for your benefit but Frisk and MK’s. So I continued to watch but your behavior was a bit odd.” You had now forgotten about the pie and was listening to Toriel intently. You pushed the plate out of the way so that you could prop your head in your hands while Toriel continues on. “Whenever MK or Frisk got in a certain vicinity of those bushes you would very cleverly lure them away from it. Always making sure that you were between the bushes and the kids. But you did it in a way that made it seem like it was part of the game. Natural.”

“After watching for a long while, I saw the bushes begin to move. Sure enough, a rather creepy man stood up out of them. He seemed to be glaring at you but your presence had been enough. The man just walked away.” Toriel paused to let those words sink in. She had watched you the whole time with Frisk without you even realizing it. Not only that but she saw the man, who had creeped you out, walk away. “You had seen that man from where you were and instead of ignoring him you stepped up. You protected Frisk and MK. I had wanted to thank you right then and there but it seemed like Mettaton had a more urgent matter with you.”

Urgent was putting it mildly. That was the day you had just ditched Mettaton and Napstablook and gotten lost in the city. He had been so worried about you when he realized that you hadn’t gone home. Even though things worked out in the end, that day made you feel rather bad. Mettaton didn’t blame you after you had explained everything to him. He was actually completely understanding. But you still felt horrible for just up and leaving like that. You didn’t know how much Frisk had told Toriel about your issues. Not to mention Sans, Papyrus, Mettaton, Undyne, and Alphys. So you decided to wait on elaborating until you could get a rough idea.

“It wasn’t a problem. Frisk and MK are really sweet. I’m sure a lot of people would have done the same thing in my position.” You signed to Toriel who shook her head.

“You would be surprised at how many people would say that they would help but look the other way if the situation actually happened. This wasn’t the only time you helped protect Frisk either. You also attended a PTA meeting with Mettaton a couple weeks ago. When you didn’t have to participate at all. But your presence left waves.” Toriel paused again to finish the rest of her tea and place the cup and it’s saucer on the coffee table. “Nancy got a lot of scrutiny after that meeting where she had told a mute person to ‘stop speaking with their distracting hands’. So much so that she has stopped demanding Frisk to do that in her class and that the school board is thinking of finding a new PTA President. I’m sorry… That you had to go through all of that.”

“What are you talking about?! You have nothing to apologize for. I, willingly, went even though Sans and Mettaton warned me. You’re a saint for putting up with that horrible woman for so long!” you signed at a hurried pace to stop Toriel from continuing her thoughts. She should never have to apologize for Nancy. It’s Nancy who should apologize not this kind woman! Still… If your presence at the PTA meeting got Nancy to step down as president so that someone more capable could man it then it was entirely worth it. You would have to message Sans and Mettaton the news if they didn’t know already.

Toriel smiled but you could still see the apology written all over her face. The conversation kind of dies out and you stand to pour Toriel and yourself some more tea. You sit back down after giving Toriel her cup. The both of you sitting in a comfortable but slightly heavy silence. You could tell there was something that Toriel wanted to ask you but wasn’t sure on how to bring it up. So you continued to sip your tea patiently. The pie completely forgotten at the moment.

Finally, the goat woman lets out a heavy sigh before looking at you with a concerned gaze. “My child, Are you alright?”

This had you stopping your cup mid sip and giving Toriel a confused look. To be honest, you were far from fine. But who wouldn’t be in the situation that you were in? With all those factors, it seemed kind of odd that she would ask that question. Then again, you didn’t know how much she knew about your predicament so it probably wasn’t an odd question for her.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… As I said before. I’m not like Sans who can see SOULs and I can’t tell if they are good or bad… but I can sense when something is wrong.” Toriel had been looking at the floor as she explained this part again but she was looking you straight in the eyes when she said the last part. “Frisk has also hinted vaguely at some things but has chosen to keep the matter private. It is up to you whether or not you tell me. You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. But I can tell that Frisk is rather worried about you and not just them. Several others as well. It’s just… from what I sense from your SOUL, it reminds me of when a monster is about to fall down…”

You hid your tensing face by sipping some of your tea. Falling down… the monster equivalent of saying death bed. It had been brought up in a previous discussion between you and Mettaton when you had asked if he had died to become a ghost. That was the only way you even knew what she meant. Was you SOUL really that revealing? You silently mulled over what Toriel had just said… She wanted to know what was wrong and it was amazing how your friends had kept your situation private. Should you tell her? She wasn’t asking out of pity but genuine concern. Once that thought crossed your mind, you let out a heavy sigh. There was no way that you wouldn’t.

So you told her. Everything. 

Well not everything. You omitted some details but the main thing was clear. If something didn’t happen there was a high chance that you could die at anytime. Which was why you were off instead of at MTT Studios right now.

This wasn’t a one day off. You had the next few weeks to yourself. A large part of the studio was undergoing renovations and Mettaton didn’t want you anywhere near it. He didn’t want to risk even the smallest sound triggering your heart. You knew he was only doing it to protect you but at the same time you felt like you were in a protective bubble. A fragile protective bubble. One wrong move and it’ll pop then you’ll be falling to your death.

To be honest, you were scared. No, you were mortified. But you couldn’t let that show. Everyone would worry about you and you would just get in their way. Not to mention the amount of pity you would get from your friends and family. That’s not what you wanted. Though you weren’t exactly sure if Mettaton, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys would pity you. They didn’t seem like the type to do that. Your human friends and your family would though. That’s why you hadn’t exactly talked to any of them about it or else they would all be bugging you. It wouldn’t be so bad if you could distract yourself with work. That’s why this time off intimidated you so much. It was to easy to slip into a bad mindset.

However this time off wouldn’t have been so bad if you could hang out with someone. Mettaton was so busy with work and in his off time he seemed to be over at Alphys’s lab a lot. You didn’t know why but he had to have a good reason to go. Papyrus had his training with Undyne and even Sans seemed to be to busy for you. If that was even possible. But you had heard from Papyrus that he was also going to Alphys’s lab. He had told you of his PhD’s so it wasn’t odd if he was helping Alphys with something.

Well, it was odd he was being proactive but he would do anything for his friends.

You hadn’t realized that you had just signed your entire inner monologue to Toriel who had been reading your hands in a patient silence. While you continued to think of ways to distract yourself without the crutch of your friends, Toriel had put her cup and saucer down, got up, walked over to you, and pulled you into a warm, loving hug. You also hadn’t realized that tears had started to form as dread had started to replace the relaxed feeling from earlier.

“Shh… My child, It will be okay.” You buried your head into her shoulder while your hands dropped uselessly to your sides. Toriel reached up and started stroking the back of your head comfortingly. “You are strong to have shouldered this on your own for so long but you don’t have to anymore. You are more than welcome to come to my place if you wish it. I may not be home but Asgore is most times and he has been wanting to meet you as well.”

You clung to her words. She was giving you the one thing you needed most right now. There was no way you were going to turn that offer down.


	32. Chapter 23

A rather large white house loomed before you. The front yard was rather small but in that small space was a rather exquisite garden. Hedges were trimmed to perfection, flowers were blooming in various hues, and a couple of trees stood tall and proud with one of them having a tire swing hanging on on of its limbs. So this is where Toriel and Frisk lived. Impressive. You turned around to give the taxi driver the amount of bills needed to pay for the ride before walking up the stone brick path to the front door. 

Right before Toriel had left, she had given you her phone number and address so that you could come over anytime you felt that you needed too. Boy did you need that. It was a couple days later and those two days of doing nothing had brought out the worse thoughts in you. You hadn’t wanted to take complete advantage of Toriel’s kindness so you had tried to stick it out on your own for a bit. There was no way you could completely depend on the others to be home at the moment and you didn’t want to keep using them as a crutch. So the first thing you did this morning was look up various cab companies on the internet to see if anyone could give you a ride to the goat woman’s house. 

When your feet hit the porch, you turned to look in one of the windows nearby. The interior looked homey and tidy. Everything put in its proper place. However you didn’t see any movement meaning no one might be there. Maybe Asgore was home. Before you left your house, you shot Toriel a text to let her know that you were planning on stopping by her house today. So hopefully she had given Asgore a heads up that you were on your way. If she hadn’t had a chance then he might not be home and you doubted anyone else would be here. Toriel had to go back to work and Frisk was at school. You weren’t sure what you were going to do if that was the case.

So while preparing yourself for the worst, you gave the front door a hearty knock and waited. After several moments, no one answered. You knocked again. This time making the sound louder than the first. You then, looked into the window to see if anyone was coming. No one came. Maybe you jumped the gun and Asgore had to do something at the monster embassy? It’s not like political emergencies had a schedule. 

You were thinking that you may have to find the nearest bus station and find somewhere else to distract yourself when a deep distant humming reached your ears. Walking along the porch to the edge, on the side of the house, the pleasant baritone tune got louder as you approached. Was someone in the backyard?

Making sure to use the designated paths, (there was no way that you were planning on trampling such a nice garden) you walked through the front yard and around the side of the house. It didn’t take long for you to figure out where the humming was coming from. In the backyard was a really tall goat monster. He was even taller than Toriel. Which was impressive because the only person you thought could match her height was Mettaton. His long elegant horns were curved back above his golden mane that seemed to morph into a beard along his white furry face. Even though he was no longer officially the king of the monsters, he still gave off a regal air that couldn’t be ignored.

Asgore was standing among a patch of flowers. A watering can in his hand. He was lost in his own little world of gardening as he hummed out the tune. The garden back here was even more impressive than the one out front. It was no wonder he hadn’t heard you knocking on the front door. You began to walk forward while taking in the vast beauty of the garden. Accidentally kicking a bucket because you hadn’t been looking where you were going. The metal bucket clangs against the stone path loudly. Completely destroying the serene elegance that was nature and Asgore’s melody. 

“Oh! Howdy, young one. It’s a beautiful day out today, isn’t it?” That it was. The noise you made had pulled Asgore back to reality and he was giving you a broad smile. Despite his tall stature it didn’t feel that intimidating as he approached you. “Is there something that I can help you with?”

Your stomach formed butterflies at those words. Had Toriel not told him that you would be stopping by sometimes in the next few weeks? Maybe she had and just hadn’t had a chance to tell him today. You probably could have timed your visit a little better. “Yes, my name is (y/n) and Toriel said I could stop by whenever I felt… _overwhelmed_.” Even though you were pretty sure Toriel had told him the bare minimum, you decided to keep it vague. If he had the same insight into your SOUL as Toriel did, then he already knew that something was up. He was just to polite to show it but at the same time you were grateful.

“I’m terribly sorry! Tori had told me that Frisk’s new human friend was stopping by today. I should have been there to greet you at the door.” Immediately, his golden eyes spark in recognition. His broad smile turning apologetic. You shake your head vehemently to dismiss the apology. He hadn’t done anything to apologize for. This seemed to relax him and his smile returned to normal. “I may not be there to greet you at the door but you are always welcome here. I’m pretty sure that would go to a lot of monsters at this point. You’ve developed quite the name for yourself among us.” He gave you a playful endearing wink that brought a smile to your face. It was good know that you had made a nice first impression.

“Is there anything you need help with?” you sign to him and then point to the spot in the garden that he had been previously watering. If you were here then you might as well help out. It had been a while since you last gardened and you had to admit that seeing such an impressive one as this inspired your green thumb.

The ex-king brightened at your offer. “That would be wonderful! You can start by weeding that troublesome spot over there if you wish.” He directs you to a patch of golden flowers. They appeared to be in tip top condition and it wasn’t until he gently pushed some to the side that you could see the weeds. “These things like to hide under the big petals. If these aren’t pulled they could overrun the poor things.”

Not on your watch. After giving Asgore a determined look, you got down on your knees and began pulling out the plant invaders. The ex king moved back to where he was previously. The sound of water trickling out of the watering can joining in to the sound of birds chirping. A comfortable silence descended as the two of you worked. It wasn’t until you were about halfway through the flower bed that Asgore spoke up.

“So do you enjoy working with Mettaton?”

You sat back on your haunches, careful to avoid sitting in the pile of weeds that you had accumulated. Working with Mettaton was awesome. You got to make music all day and have fun. It was the best job ever. “How could I not? He is the _fabulous_ Mettaton, after all.” You joked after turning so that you could look at Asgore and so that he could see your hands. “But I feel that this extended time off is a bit unwarranted. I could easily work at the resort instead of the studio.”

Asgore seemed to contemplate your words for a bit before he speaks up again. “I don’t know how serious your situation is but I do know Mettaton a bit. When he cares for someone, he’ll do anything to protect them. Even if he comes off as an egotistical diva. Think about it if you were in his shoes. What would you do?”

If you were in love with a person who could currently have an attack spurred on by the slightest surprise or noise… You would probably do the exact same thing. Maybe go even a step further. When you relayed this to Asgore, he chuckled. “On that topic, do you love Mettaton?”

You blinked as a bright blush formed on your face. Of course you did. The robot idol had grown to be the most important person in your life. If given the chance you would be at his side right now. Joking, playfully flirting, and nuzzling into your favorite spot as he held you. He was one of the few people who could keep you sane as this heart problem loomed over your mind. This sudden distance was _killing_ you. Pun entirely intended. So you vigorously nodded your head.

“Now I know Mettaton likes to keep his private life private. The only notion of his relationship with you was the viral video that Frisk showed me a long while back.” Asgore set about filling the watering can with the hose nearby. “But I have to ask. Have the two of you made it official?”

“Official?” your hands repeated back to him while you cocked your head to the side in confusion.

The ex-king chuckles at your expression. “I mean have either of you asked the other out?”

Your hands were up quickly to say that you had but you stopped. Actually no. You hadn’t. Neither you or Mettaton had asked the other out. Instead you had kind of just fell into the roles after that night in his penthouse. Your stomach felt like it was doing back flips. Did that mean that you weren’t actually boyfriend and girlfriend? If for some reason Mettaton didn’t want you around anymore all he had to do was say that you never actually asked him. Not that he would do something like that but he could if he chose too. As if to back that up even more, you hadn’t actually gone on an official date. The two of you were either to busy or hadn’t thought of it. Most times when you were together the others would be nearby. Whether it be Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, or Frisk.

A large furry hand was placed on your shoulder and you looked up into a pair of kind golden eyes. “If you truly love him then you should ask the next chance you get. You never know when that opportunity could be taken away from you.” Asgore’s voice was kind but his words were full of his own experience and regrets. It was obvious that he was trying to relay some wisdom from his own past without going into details on it. Which you didn’t ask him to elaborate. Whatever happened between him and Toriel was between them. They had worked past it if they were still together.

He was right though. Asgore heads back over to where he was working to leave you to your thoughts. The ex-king didn’t outright say it but you knew what he meant. If you dawdled to long then there was a high chance that you would die before you could ask. A sharp pain pierced your heart. You couldn’t let that slide. There was no way that you were going to let this opportunity fly away. You may not have a lot of time left in this world but you’ll be damned if you die having any regrets and this one would haunt you. The next chance you got you were going to ask Mettaton out officially.

With those words being thought, you turned back to weeding the flower bed when you notice something peculiar. Right in the middle of the spot that you had been working on was a single yellow flower. You had the others pushed out of the way so it would have been hard to miss this one flower. Deciding to ignore the weird occurrence, you reached out to push it out of the way. So you didn’t accidentally pluck it with the weeds. When it lurched backwards away from your hand. Your eyes went wide as the golden flower came to life. A face formed on the white center part and it laughed in a high pitched keen at your baffled expression.

“Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower!” It said in a overly happy voice that you didn’t trust at all. It thrust it’s face towards yours. The cutesy expression morphing into one of pure horror. Grinning at you with menacing sharp teeth.“Who are you?!”

You jumped back away from the terrifying thing clutching your heart as it went into over drive. Flowey’s stem grew with vines protruding out of the ground next to it. His high pitched demonic laughter not helping the fear that was coursing through your veins.

“Flowey! Don’t be so rude to our guest!” You could barely hear Asgore reprimand the flower over the sound of your heart in your ears. Asgore walked back over to you while shooing the yellow flower demon away with some fire magic. The smell of burnt vegetation filling your nose.

No! No no no no no! You were not going to be accidentally killed by a flower. You refused. Your body trembled as you focused on trying to calm down your erratic heart. Shit. This was not the time! You can’t go now! Your eyes squeezed closed as tears started to fall down your cheeks. The feeling of futility and despair overwhelming your other senses.

This was it.

You were going to die because of a damn flower. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Asgore’s annoyed expression at Flowey turn into one of alarm when he got a look at you. You were desperately trying to rein your heart in but it didn’t appear to be working. If it got any worse than it was then there was no hope for you.

It was then that you felt yourself being picked up by a pair of large furry hands. They pulled you into a gentle and very comfortable embrace. “It’ll be alright, (y/n). Stay determined. You can do it.” You could feel the rumbling of his voice in his chest from where your head rested.

Stay determined. Stay determined. Stay determined.

You turn your head so that it nuzzles into his shoulder and you focused on the encouraging words that Asgore continued to speak. Clinging to them as if they were your life line. You let his deep voice calm the torrent pace of your heart. It wasn’t until you shifted about an hour later that you realized Asgore’s encouragement had worked. He had gotten your heart to calm down before it could get any worse. You wipe a few stray tears from your eyes as he carries you into the house. Asgore places you gingerly on the couch before heading into the kitchen to make some tea.

Your body still trembled a bit form the initial shock of the attack. That had been close. To close. If Asgore hadn’t of helped you calm down you were sure that this attack would have been your last. You shuddered at the thought. There was no way you could let that happen. What was scary was that your attacks were becoming more and more frequent. Not only that but their severity has increased as well. Your time was running out. Fast. If the one instigated by the flower taught you anything it was that. You needed to use the little amount of time you had left to do what was important to you.

Even if it killed you in the end.

Asgore headed back into the living room and handed you a nice hot cup of tea. You took it with trembling hands that didn’t go unnoticed. “Would you like me to take you to the hospital?” His voice was full of worry and he was looking at you as if you would burst into dust right there on his couch.

You shook your head. If you went to the hospital now, there was a good chance they wouldn’t let you leave because you are now officially high risk. It would be against their policy to let you leave. Because if they let you leave and you died then they could be held accountable. However you had one thing to do before your heart finally gave out on you and you’ll be damned if you were trapped in the hospital the whole time. You sipped your tea with a determined look on your face. 

You were going to ask Mettaton out.

Even if you had to go to the renovated studio to do it.


	33. Chapter 24

Darkness. A vast endless void that seemed to stretch on for eternity laid wherever your eyes looked. What happened? Where were you? Why were you here?

You tried to move your body but it felt as though it were made entirely of lead. Not even your little toe listened to your commands. You continued to look around in the sea of darkness. Are you blind now? When? How? What could have caused that? Your head throbbed a bit as you tried to remember the events prior to waking up in this never ending darkness. What was the last thing you did? What was it?!

Suddenly a few memories popped up and with that the rest flowed into your mind like a waterfall. That’s right… You had gone home after spending the day at Asgore and Toriel’s house…

This was it.

This new morning…

Today was the day.

No turning back.

You were going to finally get this shit _DONE_!

The taxi you were in jostled you as it hit a pot hole in the road while it headed in the direction towards MTT Studios. Breaking you from your mental motivational speech. You were almost there and to be honest… you weren’t ready at all. Mettaton didn’t even know you were coming. It had to be a surprise. If he knew, there was no way that he would even allow you through the front door for fear of something happening. That’s why you had looked up the taxi service that had taken you to Toriel’s house online, again. You couldn’t text Mettaton’s limo driver to come pick you up like you normally would. He would know something was up and your plans would be thwarted.

Not that this taxi wasn’t nice. The driver was actually really nice. He was the same driver as before and he was having fun telling you some silly story about his daughter’s homework that she turned in. However you hadn’t been paying 100% attention to him as you were hyping yourself up. Which was a shame because it sounded like it was a pretty funny story judging from the boisterous laughter that the cab driver was giving off.

Shaking your head, you focused on the task at hand as MTT Studios pulled into view. Being sneaky, you had sent a few texts to Mettaton complaining of how bored you were and other general teasing comments. He responded back that he would love to come and play but he was helping a couple of the renovators with the stage set up all day. You then had texted BP to ask what Mettaton was up to and he confirmed Mettaton’s statement. So you knew where he was going to be.

Now all you had to do was go up and ask.

You stepped out of the cab and handed the driver the bills he needed, before giving him a small wave in farewell. Making sure to give him a generous tip for not listening to him during the car ride. Maybe next time you’ll be able to pay attention to his story. At this, you took a deep calming breath and turned towards the studio.

The tall building giving off a more intimidating air rather than one of fun and excitement that it normally did. You marched through the front door and into the back. The receptionist not even bothering to check to see if you had your pass or not. Which you didn’t. Mettaton had confiscated it in an attempt to keep you from getting any ideas and coming here anyway. Not that it was going to stop you. No one was allowed past the doors without a ticket with the tour group or a pass. The receptionist should have stopped you the moment your foot crossed the designated white line on the floor. That receptionist really isn’t good at her job is she?

Oh well, you weren’t about to complain. Instead, your legs seemed to go on autopilot as you walked through the winding hallways towards your destination. No one in the back paying you any mind. They were so used to seeing you that they probably assumed you were supposed to be here. Good. If things were going to be this easy and fortunate then the rest should be a cakewalk. Hopefully. Probably… Maybe…

Skillfully dodging the throng of bodies of both monsters and humans, it wasn’t long until you were pushing open the double doors that led to the back stage. The loud sounds of construction work filling your ears along with the rest of the massive room. Lots of men and women milled about doing their designated tasks as your eyes scanned around for one person in particular. Then you find him.

Mettaton was front stage next to a human man holding out a blueprint. More than likely the foreman. They were both looking at the blueprint with Mettaton pointing to certain things and talking, with the foreman adding his input once the robot idol finished. He couldn’t see you from where you were at. Perfect. Now all you had to do was walk up and ask him. Simple. You take another deep breath to calm your ever growing nerves. This was it. You could do it. Your feet start walking in the direction towards Mettaton with your resolve still a little shaky. It doesn’t matter. You got this!

“LOOK OUT!”

A loud sickening snap of twisted metal was heard along with the warning cries and yells of several workers who were working on the stage lights above. Your feet slid to a stop as your eyes looked up to see what all the commotion was about. With barely any time to respond, you scrambled backwards while thrusting your arms over your head, protectively, as a large stage light fell past you and crashed onto the floor in the spot that you had just stood a few seconds prior. The glass from the bulb shattering and cascading across the wooden boards of the stage floor. You paled from the near possible fatal collision. That was when you felt it.

Your heart.

Its once rhythmic beat was now fast and torrenting painfully underneath your rib cage. Your knees buckled. Falling to the floor, the jagged glass dug into your skin from the newly added pressure of your body. It should have hurt. You should have felt the glass cutting through your fragile flesh but you didn’t. All you could feel was your heart. With each throb, a wave of pain coursed through your body making you tremble with silent whimpers.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

Not now.

Not like THIS!

Dark spots were already dancing across your vision and you knew it wouldn’t be long before you passed out. Your fate no longer in your hands. By now a crowd had gathered around your crumpled form. Their worried glances and yells for help full of panic. You grasped at your heart. Willing. Praying. Begging for it to show you mercy. To give you the small amount of time that you needed to do the one thing that you wanted to do before it was over. All the voices of those around you began to blur into one as your eyes scanned the crowd for the one person you desperately wanted to see.

“What the hell happened? Out of my way! OUT OF MY WAY!” Mettaton’s voice was sharp with determination and authority. He pushed his way through the crowd with a look that showed that he was mad but calm.

That look changed when his eyes landed on you.

Before you could blink, Mettaton was on the floor next to you gently lifting your body up and out of the glass. Holding you gingerly against his chest plate. “Songbird…? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?” The look on his face was indescribable as he said those words. He was trying to look calm and reassuring but it wasn’t getting across. Instead, it was a mixed look of pure anguish, despair, sorrow, and anxiety.

Weakly, You nodded your head and a small smile cracked across Mettaton’s lips He presses a tender hand to your cheek and wipes away tears that were now flowing freely due to the pain and fear of what was happening. Tears were also in his eyes. How can a robot cry? You smiled at the fact that your curiosity still reared its head even now and winced a bit at the effort that it took. Your body felt heavy. You felt tired. You were tired.

You were tired of constantly waiting for this moment. Tired of being afraid to go outside and do things with the people you love. You were tired of the pain. But most of all you were just tired. Yet there was something you had to do before you went. Just one small thing.

With the little bit of strength you had, you moved you hands so that they were no longer clutching your heart. You looked straight up into Mettaton’s eyes. Giving him a gentle reassuring smile.

“I love you, Mettaton. Will you be mine?” You mouthed the words as your hands moved elegantly but it took a serious effort for you to do it. Mettaton’s small amount of remaining calm demeanor shatter and tears flowed freely while he tried to contain sobs.

The darkness continued to grow. Mettaton’s face was starting to fade out. You struggled to stay awake. To hear the words that he was going to say but in the end you couldn’t. It all faded to black…

So that’s how you got here. In this dark void. Was this death? Were you dead?

No.

This couldn’t possibly be all there is when you die. A dark endless abyss of nothingness? No! Just no! This was unacceptable. How can everything in life end up with everyone here?

Frustrated and scared, you refused to accept that this was all there was. This couldn’t be it. It just can’t be! As if to answer your determined denial, a blaring light obliterated the darkness that was around you. Colors and shapes of all kinds filled the space that the darkness was in as if you were on some sort of drug. It seemed familiar. These colors and shapes. It was as if you had experienced something like this before but couldn’t explain their random patterns. Where had you seen this? When did you experience this?

The distinct smell of chemicals and sanitizer hit your nose making it reflexively scrunch up in repulsion. Out of habit you turned your head and felt your head shift around on something soft. The numb heavy feeling of your body soon registering moments later. Your body actually responding to the signals that your brain was giving it unlike a few moments before. You turned your head away as if to try and get away from the blinding light. Your eyelids scrunching to fight of the invasion.

Wait… those colors and shapes that you saw… Were your eyes just closed…?

With more effort than it would have normally, you cracked open your heavy eyelids. The bright room that you were in currently a blur to your bleary adjusting eyes. You blinked groggily several times until the room finally came into focus. The walls were a mute white color and you were currently laying in a hospital bed with lots of things currently hooked up to your body. A curtain pardoned off your side of the room with the rest. It was just you at the moment.

Your eyes searched the room curiously. When did you get here? How long have you been out? Had you actually died or was that endless darkness just because your eyes were closed? You shuddered at that last thought. The heart monitor you were currently hooked up to picking up on the change and beeping along with the other machines. Your eyes moved back to the large curtain that separated you from the rest of the world to find several shadows on it. They were moving sporadically. As if they were angry… were the people on the other side arguing? Straining your ears to hear over the sounds of the machines, you began to hear the conversation that was taking place.

“We need to move her to the lab! There isn’t anytime! She could fade away at any moment!” The loud voice of Mettaton hit your ears and you watched as the taller slender shadow gestured wildly to the others. His normally suave voice completely gone.

“Mettaton… There is no way we can move her as she is. You said it yourself. She could fade away at any moment. If we try to move her, we can pretty much guarantee her death.” A deep baritone voice cut in. Sans? He was here too?

Mettaton let out a desperate frustrated growl. “But we can’t just stand here and do nothing!”

“We never said that! We just said that we couldn’t move her.” A more timid feminine voice reassured the robot idol. Alphys? What was she doing here? What were they talking about?

One of the smaller shadows shifted and you could kind of make out the form of Sans. “With that being said, do you think the hospital would let us bring all that equipment here?”

“I don’t know… but we have to at least ask. She can’t stay hooked up like that forever..” Alphys’s voice trailed off and the three went silent. They all seemed to turn to look at the curtain that you were currently residing behind. Now was your chance to get their attention. But how?

Most of the machines the hospital staff had you hooked up to marred your movement drastically. Tubes, wires, and more were littered all over your body in a tangled heap. It was so bad that you were afraid that one movement would cut off the thing currently keeping you alive. What to do? What to do?! Your fingers spread out and weakly felt around in the nearby vicinity to see if you could use something. One of your fingers hitting the metal bars the framed the sides of your bed. A soft ting sound emitting from where you accidentally hit it.

That was it! You angled your hand so that you could hit your fingernail against the cold metal, drumming out a soft beat. The sound wasn’t that loud and you weren’t sure if any of them could hear it above all the sounds the machines were making. But it was all you had. Instead of doing a random beat, you switched it up to match up to the beat of your song. Repeating it over and over on the metal bar even though your finger was starting to hurt.

After a few moments, you watched Mettaton’s shadow straighten up. “What’s that sound?” Thank God for his enhanced robot hearing!

“W-What sound?” Alphys asked him in confusion.

“There are lots of sounds Mettaton.” Sans deep voice chimed in. “Which one specifically?”

Wow. He didn’t even make a skeleton or a Mettaton pun in that statement. He must be seriously worried about you. Then again you weren’t surprised. You were seriously worried about you. 

Mettaton took a couple of steps towards the curtain as you continued to keep up the beat. His heels clicking on the hospital tile. “It’s a small clicking sound and its coming from over there…” You watched as Mettaton’s hand slide around the edge of the curtain and gently pulled it back so that he could peer in. “Songbird…? SONGBIRD!” He was at your side in seconds, holding the hand that you had tapped the bar with in his. Not long after, Sans and Alphys followed in behind him.

You graced them all with a very tired and weak smile. The looks on their faces ranging from happy and relieved to timid and worried. You felt the boney hand of Sans pat the top of your head, which was one of the only places they could actually touch you without messing with anything you were hooked up to. The tired look in his eyes even more prominent than it was before. “Glad to see you awake, kiddo. You almost gave all of us heart attacks.”

“ _SANS_!” Alphys exclaimed in disgust at the stout skeleton but you were already silently chuckling at what he said.

“Oh you know me. With things like this, I _never skip a beat_.” You winced a bit as you signed it out with your free hand. Your movement jostling the needle that was in your wrist.

Mettaton nuzzled your cheek affectionately with his. “That’s my girl.” Things continued along this way for a bit until a silence fell upon your small group.

“Where are the others?” You asked to break the silence. Which the monsters seemed grateful that you had.

“Toriel, Asgore and Frisk are on their way. Undyne and Papyrus are out in the waiting room currently.” Alphys happily spoke up. She stood at the end of the bed and you couldn’t resist playfully poking her in the side with your foot. It was one of the only limbs you could safely move. 

But now you had to ask the questions that they seemed to be avoiding. “What were you guys arguing about? What equipment? Why wouldn’t the hospital let you bring it in?”

The three of them glanced at one another until Sans let out a heavy sigh. “We’ve been working on something that may help you.”

Your eyes went wide. “What?”

“Sans that is extremely vague.” Alphys reprimanded the skeleton before turning to you and tickling the tips of your toes in retaliation for earlier. “I-I’ve been studying the nature of human SOULS for a very long time. When Mettaton got the news of this” Alphys paused to gesture around the room. “H-He c-came to me asking if there was some way that I could help. Something… permanent.” She seemed slightly ashamed when she spoke of her work of the human SOULS but you chose to ignore it for the moment.

“Am I going to be turned into a robot?”

Alphys’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head frantically. “N-No no! It took me a very long time to make Mettaton’s body… Years! To make one for you, I would have to keep you in this suspended state until it was done.. I could never put you through that!”

You moved to cock your head curiously at the yellow dinosaur. “Then what is it?”

“W-well… I could clone a working heart for you or even make you a mechanical one.. but even then the risk is still very high that your body wouldn’t accept the new hearts. Then you would more than likely die on the table.” Her voice got more grave as she spoke and you shuddered at her last statement. If she wasn’t going to turn you into a robot or give you a new heart then what was she going to do?

“Remember a while back when you asked if there was something wrong with your SOUL?” Sans took over explaining to give Alphys a break. The yellow monster seemed to be all nervous now with anxiety. Turning your attention to the stout skeleton, you nodded your head to him. Of course you remember. You still haven’t seen it yet. “A person’s SOUL as stated is the culmination of a person’s entire being. It’s everything they are. The good. As well as the bad.”

Sans paused to let you think over the words that he said. “So what your saying is that my heart issue is reflective in my SOUL?” you signed to him and his grin broadened. Your eyelids were starting to feel heavy again. Shit. Now was not the time to sleep! You just woke up! Ignoring your increasing drowsiness you kept your attention on the monster friends by your side.

“That’s right. If a sick body has a healthy SOUL, then the body naturally heals itself to match that of the SOUL it houses. If a sick SOUL is in a healthy body..” Sans trailed off and your eyes sparked as it clicked.

“Then the healthy body will become sick to reflect the SOUL.” You couldn’t help it but a tiny yawn escaped your lips as you signed it. You no longer had the ability to hide the fact that you were about to pass out again. This seemed to resonate with Mettaton, Sans and Alphys who looked at each other with furtive glances.

“Yes. We’ll do it as soon as we can.” Mettaton said while moving some stray hairs out of your face.

“Mettaton. You can’t make that choice for her.” Alphys said in a serious tone. Mettaton turned to glare at the smaller monster but was stopped by the look she was giving him. “This procedure has never been done before and anything can happen. It’s entirely experimental. I’m more than willing to do it but (y/n) has to make the decision on whether we do it or not. It’s her SOUL and her body.”

The robot idol stares at Alphys for a good minute before dropping his head with a heavy sigh. “ I know… you’re right…” At those words, all three monsters were looking at you with grim serious looks. “Songbird… So do you want to try this out? If this works then this may give you more time or heal your heart permanently…”

Your tired eyes wandered between the three of them. Their silence telling you everything you needed to know. Even though they wanted to help you, it was your choice. They weren’t going to force you into something and they wanted to make sure you knew the gravity of the situation. But why wouldn’t you? It was either be on life support until a donor or artificial heart could be given to you and even then it wasn’t a guarantee… or try this out. You close your eyes and give them a swift affirmative nod. There was no debate. You were going to try this new experimental procedure out. A sigh of relief swept through the three monsters and Alphys produced a piece of paper with a pen.

“This is just to say that you signed off on it so that we can bring everything over. With this the hospital can’t say no!” Alphys gave you a bright smile and you kind of felt better.

Taking the pen in your hand, you signed on the designated line. The pen trailing a line as your arms fell gently back to the bed. Your eyes closing as sleep overtook you again.


	34. Chapter 25

A numbing pain seemed to slowly creep up your entire body starting from where your heart was. It started out small. Insignificant. Something you could easily ignore but it continued to grow until it was starting to get uncomfortable. You had continued to ignore it because you wanted to remain still. Asleep. Because your body was so tired that it would take all your strength to even lift your pinky but now the pain was starting to get to uncomfortable to ignore.

Your eyes cracked open and blearily tried to take in your surroundings as they adjusted to the dim brightness of your hospital room. Actually… was this your hospital room? Once the room came into focus, several new large machines filled the small space that would normally be for visitors and doctors. The curtain that had originally pardoned off your side of the room was shoved against the wall as far as it could be to make room for all of the new additions. When did all of this get here? How long have you been out?

At that moment, the pain that your body was in decided to remind you that it was still there and you winced. Several tubes and things, that you were hooked up to, shook gently under the small force you had applied. A silent sigh escaped your lips. You probably looked more machine than human by now due to all of the stuff you were hooked up too. Deciding to ignore that thought and look around for the button to call a nurse about the pain, you finally realized that you weren’t alone in your room.

Mettaton, Sans, and Alphys were surrounding your bed. Sans was by your feet, Alphys on your left, and Mettaton was on your right. Their faces were all looking at each other and, judging by the tones of their voices, they were in some kind of argument.

“Listen.. we have no idea when the kiddo will wake up and we are on borrowed time as it is.” Sans’s baritone voice rose above the other two. “If we don’t do this now she could die at anytime.”

“She could die in the very beginning before we even start if she isn’t awake!” Alphys’s nasally voice was a tad bit more higher pitched than normal. “A normal human’s SOUL isn’t this fragile. If this was someone else then we could easily have done the procedure already but this isn’t the case! If we do this now, without her knowing, we may as well be signing her life away right now.”

“Is that why you had the nurse take the pain medication off?” Mettaton’s sultry voice crept into the conversation and it sounded more calm than he appeared to be. The three of them looked ragged. Sans looked even more disheveled than normal and he had even darker lines under his eye sockets. Alphys’s clothes were a wrinkled mess with her glasses sitting crooked on her yellow snout. Mettaton’s hair was sticking up in all kinds of places. As though he had slept in and hadn’t bothered to deal with the bed head when he got up. Just how long have the three of them been here?

You watched as Alphys nodded her bright yellow head at Mettaton’s statement. “I-I’m hoping that it will get so uncomfortable that she wakes up… but if she doesn’t, after a little bit, we’ll put her back on it.” Her head drooped and looked at the floor. Not noticing that her plan had worked and you were awake. “I don’t want her to suffer needlessly.”

Sans’s exasperated sigh had the other two monsters looking in his direction. “If you didn’t want her to suffer needlessly then we should have started by now.” Sans was looking directly at Alphys as he said it and the two seemed to start a glaring contest with each other. Neither of them saying anything but neither of them were backing down either. This wasn’t good… You didn’t want them fighting over you. It was obvious that everyone here was extremely tired and stress always followed when that happens. You tried to move your hand but you could barely even make the muscles twitch. Great. Your body was currently useless. Not wanting to see them fight and not having the ability to stop it, you slowly turned your head away towards Mettaton so that you didn’t have to watch.

It seemed that Mettaton had the same idea as you. He rolled his eyes at the other two and then they drifted down to your still form. His eyes widening in shock and happiness at seeing your eyes wide open. “Well! Good morning, gorgeous~. Did you have a good beauty rest? You’ve been out for a few days.” The ghost robot’s voice had lowered a bit and you could see the relief behind those tired LED eyes. You do the only thing you could do since you couldn’t raise your hands to talk.

You stuck your tongue at him.

Mettaton’s laughter brought Alphys and Sans’s attention away from their argument and over to the two of you. Their petty fight long gone once they both see that you are wide awake. Well… as awake as you could be. “Hey there, kiddo. If you kept sleepin you would be beating my record.” Sans winked his eye socket at you in greeting, bringing a small smile to your face.

“Hello! I’m so happy that you are awake!” Alphys was practically hopping in place in delight that you were no longer sleeping. You turned your head to give her a small smile in greeting as well but winced instead at the pain you had been trying to hide. Your face grimaced as it pulsed through your body. “Oh! I-I’m so sorry! Here lemme turn that back on now since we don’t need it off anymore.” Her yellow claws reached up and started fiddling with one of the nearby iv drips.

“If you knew how to do it then why did you have a nurse do it?” Mettaton asked as he propped his head up in his hands while he leaned against the railing of your bed.

“I-it’s been a while since I’ve had to do it and humans aren’t like monsters…” Alphys let that last part trail off as she finished turning the drip back on. You watched as the bag of medication slowly drip small amounts of clear liquid down a long tube that was fastened into your wrist. “You’ll s-start to feel better in a couple of minutes. I’m sorry but this was the only way I could think of to get you awake…”

You groggily shook your head at her to dismiss the apology. If she needed you up that badly then it had to be important. “While you were out, sweetheart, we got permission from the hospital staff to bring over all the equipment needed from Alphys’s lab. Then the past few days we went about setting everything up.” Mettaton’s voice was gentle as he reminisced.

“Long story short. It’s all ready to go. Now the real question is… are you?” Sans was looking straight at you as he said it. Despite having his perma-smile plastered to his face, you could sense the seriousness behind it. Did they wake you up just to get your permission again? Didn’t you already sign that paper? Oh well. At least they were being thorough. You stared right back at Sans and gave him an affirmative nod.

This whole situation has been expected to happen your whole entire life and you were ready for it to end. Screw spending the rest of your days in the hospital. You were ready. Sans and Alphys looked to one another before nodding to each other .Then Alphys wandered over to a nearby computer terminal. Her claws flying across the keyboard from years of practiced precision. You feel a gentle but strong hand envelope your right one and you look over to see Mettaton giving you an encouraging smile. The room goes into a tense silence as Alphys preps up whatever she was prepping on the computer with Sans standing at the ready by the end of your bed. 

“Okay… here we go…” Alphys calls out and you hear her hit one final key on her keyboard. All the new machines seemed to come to life. The sounds of fans, generators, and CPU’s filled the room as they lit to life in a dazzling array of lights. Some pulsed. Others glowed. Combined they put on an intricate light show that you were having trouble looking away from. 

A loud whirring sound finally was able to pull your attention way from the lights to the large glass tube that had originally hung above you. It now lowered down to rest gently on top of your chest. The bottom looking like metal but it had a weird soft like texture. Like if you gave enough pressure with your hand, your hand would faze right through it.

Looking through the glass, you could see Sans giving you an apologetic smile. You cocked your eyebrow questioningly at him and he chuckled softly. “Sorry, bud. You were probably awake for some of that argument. I just now realized why Alphys was so worried about doing this while you slept.” So there was another reason as to why she had woken you up other than to ask for your permission again. If you could move your hands you would have asked why but the chance was immediately lost. Alphys gave Sans a nod and he closed his eye sockets only to open them with his left one lit up in a brilliant cyan flame. “Once this happens, there isn’t any going back… You sure you are ready, kid?”

You give Sans another determined nod. Raising his hand, you felt something envelope a part of you that was buried deep within your body. As his boney hand slowly rose higher, you felt it begin to pull that part of you up with it. A small pang of fear creeped up your spine but you willed it back. This was Sans. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you. Not only that but Alphys and Mettaton were there at the ready to help as well. You were in good hands. Sans continued to raise his hand until, like tension being released on a rope, your SOUL was snapped out of your body. It easily broke through the bottom seal of the glass tube and stopped to float in it perfectly center. Your eyes grew wide as you saw your SOUL for the very first time.

“Absolutely beautiful… Purple suits you, Songbird.” Mettaton’s voice was completely awestruck just like yourself. But by the way he said it, it made it sound like there was more than one color. If there was, how many were there? Did it mean anything significant?

However you let those questions fade to the back of your mind as you took in the SOUL, that was yours, in front of you. It was smaller than you thought it would be. When you think of something as the culmination of a person’s being, you would think that it would be bigger. It was a faded purple color with a bright blue aura surrounding it that had to be Sans’s magic. Your SOUL was in the shape of a heart and it pulsed softly within it’s new container. Even though you had never seen your SOUL until now, you knew there was something wrong with it. Was it because it was faded? No.. there was something else. Your eyes continued to search it until it popped out like a huge red flag.

All across the surface of your heart shaped SOUL were prominent hairline cracks. Looking as though it could shatter into tiny pieces at any given moment. Was this… was this what Sans saw when he first met you? Were the cracks always there? Have they been gradually getting worse as it progressed? No wonder everyone, who could see it, had been worried about you. To them it looked like you were about to keel over right then and there!

“Perseverance. Not a bad trait to have, kid. You’ve definitely had to persevere with this in your life.” Sans said as he winked his left eye socket at you. When it opened the cyan flames were gone and your SOUL remained in the tube instead of returning to your body. “Mettaton’s right. It suits you.”

However you barely acknowledged his words. You were to busy staring at your trapped SOUL. When the magic released, your SOUL should have returned like it had before. Why wasn’t it returning? It got into the tube fairly easily. It could easily get out the same way. So why didn’t it? Your SOUL continued to float dead center of the tube as if to taunt you as fear started to rear it’s ugly head. Almost like it picked up on your new fear, your SOUL began to pulse at a much faster rate than the calm one it had moments before. The fear continued to grow as your SOUL refused to return to your body. Why?! Why wasn’t it returning like it was supposed to?!

Darkness started to line your vision and fueled the uncertainty that was embedding into your mind. “Sweetheart. It’s alright. This is what was supposed to happen… Alphys, what’s going on?!” Mettaton squeezed the hand he held reassuringly before addressing his scientist friend in a much sterner tone.

“W-without her SOUL, h-her body is having trouble staying awake. It’s lacking the energy to maintain her conscious state.” Alphys piped up from her spot in front of the computer. “Don’t worry, (y/n). Everything will be okay! Go ahead and rest. When you wake up you should be feeling much better.”

You couldn’t see Alphys’s face and you would bet that she would be giving you a consoling look. But right now you were claiming bullshit. Rest? Now? How could you rest when your SOUL refused to return to you? It was out in the open for everyone to see! But you didn’t have a choice. The darkness spread across your vision until it was all you could see and once again you were trapped in the endless void. You shivered.

What was going to happen? You couldn’t move. You couldn’t speak. There was no way to tell your friends if something happened or if something was wrong. You were scared and it was consuming you with all the uncertainties that were plaguing your mind. What’s worse is that you felt all alone. There was nothing but darkness. No one to talk to. No one to console you. Just you and all your uncertainties. Your fears. You wished you could just curl up in Mettaton’s lap and never leave his protective arms. But you couldn’t. You wanted to cry and scream. You weren’t sure if you actually were on the surface beyond this void or not. 

Why were you acting this way? These were your friends! This reaction was completely unreasonable. They wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you. But even then the fears, doubts… all the horrible thoughts banished the comforting feeling of your friends to the far reaches of your mind. Making you want to tremble in the unknown fear that you were currently drowning in.

“ _Darling, please don’t be all alone._  
_You mean more to me than you could ever have known._ ”

A soft voice cut through the awful silence in your mind as you strained to hear who it was and where it was coming from.

“ _Little Song bird_  
_Where have you gone?_  
_Is there anything wrong?_ ”

It sounded so distant but you clung to the soft comforting words like a lifeline. Yes there was something wrong. You wanted to wake up. You wanted to be out of this darkness. You wanted this procedure to go well. You wanted to go home! The soft voice went quiet and you started to panic.

No! Please come back! Don’t leave me! You wanted to scream these words at the top of your lungs even though you knew that you physically couldn’t. Your ears strained for the soft voice. Your mind pleading for it to pick up again before you were pulled back into the depths of dark thoughts and fear.

“ _My little song bird,_  
To protect your fragile heart.  
My dear, I’m here!  
Even when it all goes dark!”

You could have cried in relief. The voice sounded familiar. You knew that it was your song but… was it… was it Mettaton singing? It had skipped forward a bit but you assumed that it was due to the fact that you couldn’t hear it. This time the ghost robot’s gentle voice didn’t stop. He ended the song and picked it up from the top again as if he was an mp3 on repeat. You didn’t know how you could hear him but you were so grateful. So happy. You weren’t alone!

With that thought, it felt as though you were a thousand pounds lighter. You were released from all the bad thoughts as though someone had cut the chains that they were using to pull you down. It felt so good. You basked in the weightless feeling and Mettaton’s voice. Good wasn’t the best word for how you felt. You felt amazing! Having long since lost track of time, you reveled in the song. Not minding that it started over again immediately once the ending line faded out. The more you listened, the more positive and energetic you became. You hadn’t felt like this since you were little! It was then that you felt something, that you knew had been missing, reinsert itself within you. As though, the last puzzle piece had fallen into place. You felt good.

You felt whole.

The darkness started to fade as you felt yourself wake up from that weird limbo-like state that you were in. Your eyes blinked as they readjusted to the lights of your hospital room again. Sans and Alphys were now standing right next to your bed. Mettaton sat in a chair opposite them. His sultry singing voice rising over the sounds of all the machines in the room. His eyes closed. Lost in the world of the song.

Your eyes trail away from him and back to the other two monsters who were both watching you with rather expectant eyes. You give them a confused smile and gently waved at them in greeting. Something about having those kinds of eyes on you just make you nervous. Were you supposed to do something?

“Hey there, kiddo… You woke up pretty quick.” Sans stated while the pin pricks of his eyes seemed to roam over where your SOUL was probably at. Looking for anything bad. His voice pulling Mettaton out of his singing to look at you with relief spreading across his features.

You stretched and winced as the needles in your arms dug in due to the odd angles that you had forced them into. Then you froze. Your eyes widening at what you had just done. Before you passed out, you could barely move your head. Now you were not only moving your arms but stretching like it was fully normal. You looked at Sans and Alphys with renewed vigor. “How long was I out?” Your hands signed the words effortlessly. You fought back tears at the fact that you were able to communicate properly again.

“N-not to long. Just a few hours as we did the procedure. To be honest, we weren’t expecting you to wake up so soon after having your SOUL put back.” Alphys spoke up from beside Sans. Her eyes doing the same as his as she roamed your body in case there was something amiss. “W-we put your SOUL back about… an hour and a half ago?” She glanced at the clock to check to see if her time was right. “Yeah.. about that much.”

“Really?” You were shocked. It had only been an hour and a half since your SOUL came back and you were already feeling well enough to move around? Whatever they did clearly was working. That healthy SOUL/ sick SOUL theory was definitely true if that was the case. Your body was responding to the healthier SOUL that it now housed.

“How are you feeling, darling? Though I can pretty much already tell you are looking significantly better.” Mettaton said ending on a playful purr that had you grinning brightly. Not only did you look it but you definitely felt it. Alphys seemed about to burst in excitement as you relayed how you felt prior to the procedure and after. Then you did something that amazed but at the same time scared the hell out of all of them. You sat up. The wires and tubes hung off your body by patches of medical tape that secured them in their positions.

“Kid… Don’t do to much now. We don’t want to push a good thing to far.” Sans was chuckling but his warning was clear.

You silently chuckled before giving Sans a mischievous look. Might as well get Mettaton going too. “Sorry… but I think it’s been proven that I’m _good in bed_.” You made sure to give Mettaton a flirtatious look that had him blushing brightly. “After all, I can _sleep for days_.” Technically, this was true. You had.

“Dammit, Songbird.” You heard Mettaton state after he snorted at you pun. Sans started laughing and Alphys even let out a few small chuckles. “You had me going there for a second. Yes. Perseverance definitely suits you.”

“W-Well… Since you are up now. Why don’t we run those diagnostic tests to see how everything is going? We won’t know of anything bad happening right away. So you won’t be able to leave yet but…” Alphys looked to the floor then back at you. “Everyone is out in the waiting room and they are bound to be happy to see you are okay. So after we run the tests, we can bring them in if you are feeling up for it…?”

“YES!” You would have shouted it out loud if you could. Instead you opted to repeat the word over and over to Alphys with your hands until she was laughing as she made her way back over to the computer terminal. 

Mettaton stood up with an exaggerated stretch. His hands running through his hair in an attempt to tame it a bit. “Why don’t I go give everyone the good news then? I trust you’ll keep me posted Alphys, darling?”

“Y-you know, I will Mettaton.” She said it without even bothering to look up from her screen. 

The ghost robot leaned over and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. Earning him a bright blush that brought an endearing smile to his face. “I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about never seeing you flustered again.” He whispered it into your ear and you playfully pushed him away. Now was not the time for flirting. He gave you a wink as he walked out. Making sure to close the door softly behind him.


	35. Chapter 26

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’m pretty sure she does”

“Sans! Let her speak for herself!”

“YES!” You signed to the group of people that were surrounding your hospital bed. Several human nurses and doctors stood clustered around you along with Sans and Alphys. However you were beginning to get impatient. After several weeks of careful monitoring, on Sans and Alphys’s parts, they were finally sure that you could be taken off all the machines that you were currently hooked up to. 

Ever since the procedure, your health had skyrocketed from what it once was. However, it seemed to plateau. Sans, Alphys, and several doctors had you perform several tests daily to see how much improvement has happened. Your heart still was considered a risk. Just not an immediate one anymore. It would take more than a couple months for your heart to recover from years of having issues. You had hoped that with this procedure that you would be able to speak. To have the voice that you always wanted. But that didn’t seem like it would be possible.

Alphys had explained how your mute vocal chords where due to a genetic defect. Not a physical one like your heart. There was a slim chance that the procedure might have helped but the most you could have made were small sounds. If your vocal chords had been damaged in an accident or due to a disease that would have been a different story. It seems that even SOUL treatments could only do so much but it made sense. In order to fix that, Alphys would have to go in and fix your DNA. Which was currently impossible. Plus you weren’t sure if you wanted that to happen… You didn’t let it get you down though. You were getting better. That’s all that mattered.

Your room was littered with flowers, cards, toys, and all assortments of other things from your friends visiting you so much. Almost everyday you had a visitor. Whether it was Papyrus who stopped by to tell you about his day and how he is taking care of your house while you were here, Undyne who was coming up with a training regiment to help strengthen your body, Napstablook stopping by to listen to music with you, Frisk would stop by with Toriel and sometimes Asgore, to BP who just wanted to check in… You had a very busy hospital room. That wasn’t including Mettaton, Sans, and Alphys who have been practically living in the room with you. 

Mettaton finally went back to the studio after about the 5th time BP called Alphys asking where Mettaton was. She then laid into him. Saying something along the lines that she would keep him updated and that he had responsibilities blah blah. You were to busy snickering alongside Sans as Alphys mothered Mettaton to pay attention to what she had been saying. He had left begrudgingly. Even then, he seemed to text you every 10 minutes on the dot. It continued at that rate until Sans took your phone and spammed the robot idol with puns for 6 hours straight. Needless to say he wasn’t texting you every ten minutes anymore but he did visit you as often as he could when he pulled himself away from all the backed up showbiz work. But hopefully you weren’t going to have to stay in this stifling room for to much longer.

Now you were here. On the day that you were going to be taken off of life support. No more evil needles in your wrist, things hooking you up to monitors, and all that stuff! Gone. However, no one wanted to take any chances with you and that’s why you had an entire hospital staff at the ready in your room. If something went wrong, they were prepared to get you back on those machines. Hopefully, you didn’t have to go back on them though.

All the humans looked around at each other with uncertainty but began to do what you asked. The least essential machines were removed first. Making sure to pause and make sure you were okay with every machine they completely took you off of. Everything went smoothly until it was down to the last one. The major one. The one that has been helping your heart this whole time. After looking at you to get one last nod of approval, a doctor moves in and starts taking you off of it.

You feel it immediately. Your heart had gotten used to the machine that had been supporting it. The important muscle in your chest struggled to pulse at a regular rate on it’s own. It hurt. Your face contorted in pain whenever your heart seemed to skip a beat as it tried to regulate itself. You thrust your head back into your pillow as you began to take shallow breaths. Despite the pain, you knew that this would probably happen. It’s only natural that your heart wasn’t working at full capacity so long as it had something to help it. Now that it’s on it’s own, it was trying to match what the machine had been doing for it.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the doctors and nurses already going about getting things ready. The things to put you back onto the machine. No! You’ve only been off of it for a couple of minutes at the most! They need to give your heart a chance to adjust, not immediately put it back on the damn machine! When the doctor leaned in to begin hooking you back up, you threw your hand up and pushed his away. Hard. He looked at you completely shocked by your actions.

“Your heart is trying to hard. We need to put you back on- Stop slapping my hands away!” The doctor’s voice was starting to sound mad but you didn’t care. Each time he tried to hook you back up, you shoved him away forcefully. “Nurse! Grab her arms-”

Your eye go wide as you see Sans pull the doctor away from your bed. “Listen. Doc. I know you are worried about her. Now I may be a bit of a _numbskull_ but I think she’s tryin to tell you to NOT put her on the machine.”

“I noticed that but she needs to be put back on-”

“No, she doesn’t.” This time it was Alphys who cut him off. “I-I understand your concern but her life isn’t in danger at the moment. Her vitals say as much. Let her try.”

Thank God for Sans and Alphys. You didn’t need that machine. You really didn’t. Knowing that the two of them were there to support you helped you relax. Closing your eyes, you focused. Come on, heart. You can do it. Continuing to breath shallowly as you focused, you didn’t notice that your heart’s palpitations started to happen less and less. A rather tense silence descended upon your room as you did your thing. Everyone was to worried about jinxing it to say anything. But that only lasted so long. Alphys’s high pitched squee is what ended up breaking your concentration. Your breathing regulated and your eyes cracked open to give the yellow dinosaur monster a questioning look. The next thing you know, her arms are around you as she pulls you into a gentle but very excited hug. “It worked! I-I’m so happy for you! You did it!”

Did what? Your eyes moved from your friend over to the heart monitor. It was counting around 60 beats a minute at the moment compared to around 30 that it normally would have without the machine. As an added bonus, your chest no longer hurt. You had done it. Your heart was beating fine without having to piggyback on the life support machine. Once Alphys pulls out of her hug, you are swarmed by the doctors and nurses as they go about studying your vitals and checking everything they remotely could. Finding nothing wrong, they closely monitor you for the next few hours. A few hours that you spend standing up and walking around your small room while signing to Alphys and Sans. You couldn't wander to far away from your bed, due to the wires, but the little amount of walking space is like a godsend after having been bed ridden for so long. Your leg muscles stretching pleasantly as you paced around the small space. Eventually, the doctor comes back giving you the news that you wanted to hear so badly. You could go home but on one condition. Only if you have Sans or Alphys monitoring you for the next few days. Just in case your heart decided to go into a relapse.

At this, Sans wrapped his boney arm around your shoulders and gave you an encouraging wink. “I got your back, kid. Alphys probably has to go transcribe all the data from this procedure anyway.”

“And sleep.” Your hands shot up to sign to the two monsters. Even though they had taken to sleeping in shifts to watch over you, neither of them had been sleeping on a regular basis since this all happened. “Both of you need to get some sleep.” With that said, you filled out the exit paperwork and the next thing you new you were pulling in front of the skelebros’s house after a short wheelchair ride to one of Mettaton’s limos waiting for you outside of the hospital. At long last…

You were out of the limo before it was completely stopped. Basking in the sun and open air as your legs dashed forward from the momentum of leaving the vehicle that had been slowing down. No more bland rooms. No more sanitizer or chemical smells. Just no more hospital! NO MORE! You run forward and flop down onto the grass of their front lawn just breathing in the fresh air. Glad to finally be free.

“Okay, kiddo. If you keep doing crazy things like that, we may have to commit you again.” Sans says once he strolls over to you while offering you a hand up. Without any hesitation, your tongue sticks out at the skeleton in rejection of his pun. Like hell you were going back. He would have to drag you kicking and clawing the floor if he was going to try that. Yet, you accept his hand and he pulls you up onto your feet. Sans walks by you to unlock the front door. “Why don’t you get yourself situated on the couch and I’ll grab ya something to drink? I bet you’re sick of whatever the hospital was offerin’ ya.”

There was no way that you needed to be asked twice. You plopped yourself down center seat and just curled up into a little happy ball. Sans and Papyrus’s house smelled like bones and spaghetti. It smelled like your friends. Which was a hell of a lot better than where you have been the past couple of months. You grab a large comforter that had been thrown haphazardly over the back of the couch. Turning yourself into a blanket burrito. This was probably from the last time Sans was actually home instead of at the hospital. The skeleton had made sure to be home to read Papyrus his bedtime story every night. No matter how tired he, himself, was. You let out a contented sigh.

This was kind of surreal. A couple of months ago you were on borrowed time. Just waiting for the grim reaper to come knocking on your hospital room door to take you away. Now you were in one of your best friend’s house, sitting on his couch, with the probability that you would make a full recovery. This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t made the resolve to send in your song into that contest. If you hadn’t of done it then there was a pretty high chance that none of this would have snowballed down until you were sitting where you were now. To be honest, you would probably be currently shut up in your house like before. To scared to go outside. You pressed a hand absently to your chest. Your heart beat within at a steady, regular pace. A thought crossed your mind.

Your SOUL had so many cracks in it before… what did it look like now, after the experimental procedure you went through? Would it be different now or….? The thought trailed off as Sans made his way back into the living room. In one hand he held a glass of some kind of juice and in the other was a brand new bottle of ketchup. He handed you the glass then slumped down onto the spot on your right with a relaxed but tired sounding sigh. “It’s so good to be home. I’ll head over and grab a change of clothes for ya in a bit. Doubt you wanna stay in the clothes you went into the hospital with. Also we should call everyone up to tell ‘em you are out in a little bit. Don’t want them bothering the hospital staff or thinking something worse happened.”

That was putting it mildly. Though, technically, you weren’t home yet but your house was right across the street. But new clothes sounded amazing. You took a sip of the cool liquid and smiled as it quenched your parched throat. Apple juice. Probably for Frisk whenever they were over. You set your glass on the coffee table in front of you before turning to Sans with an idea sprouting in your mind.

“Sans? Could I ask a favor of you?” Your hands signed once you wormed them back out of the wrappings of the blanket. You probably shouldn’t have layered it so much but oh well.

“What’s that, bud?” Sans asked before taking a long draw on the ketchup bottle. One eye socket closed while the other was watching you idly, waiting for you to respond.

“Could you show me my soul? I wanna see what it looks like now after whatever you and Alphys did to it.” Your hands returning into the depths of the blanket once you finish asking.

He eyes you for a long moment before sitting up straight. “You do realize Mettaton should be the one doing this right?” A bright blush spread across your cheeks as you remembered what it meant to ask a monster that. Crap! You were surprised Sans hadn’t done a spit-take.You immediately start to apologize but Sans’s laughter cuts you off. “Whoa calm down. No need to let this get out of _hand_. I’m just teasin. I know you’re just curious but to be honest I wanted to check it and see how it was doin anyway. This makes it a lot easier. Ready?”

You shake your head at the hand pun but give him an affirmative nod at his question. Within seconds, his eye lights up and you felt the odd sensation of your SOUL leaving your chest. How did you not notice that feeling the very first time it happened, when Sans levitated you out of Papyrus’s way when he chased that pup? Sans ended up having to pull it out a little further so that the both of you could see it without the blanket hindering anything.

Your SOUL floated in the space between the two of you while sending out gentle purple pulses. As though, it was completely content with what was going on. Your eyes scanned the floating purple heart. Compared to what it looked like before…. it looked so much healthier. The shade of purple wasn’t as pale. It was much more vibrant. Tiny cracks still covered the entire surface area of your SOUL but they were far less prominent. You would bet that some of the finer ones had probably completely healed. What had Sans and Alphys done to get it this way? So you ask.

“Get comfortable, kid. This may take some explaining.” Sans’s eye remained lit up as he reached to take another swig from the ketchup bottle. “The color of a human SOUL shows the dominant trait that that person has. Like for you it’s purple. Which stands for perseverance. Frisk’s SOUL is red meaning determination. There are several others but I’m not gonna get into them right now.” He leaned back against the couch while you tried to touch your SOUL. To your amazement, it moved with your gestures. Sans paused to watch you playfully bat at your SOUL before continuing on. “Every human SOUL has a little bit of each of the traits within it. If it lacks a certain one then there could be problems in the person’s personality and the like. Basically… What Alphys and I did was add to it.”

“Add to it?” You stopped playing for a moment to ask.

“Yep. A little determination here. Some more perseverance there.” Sans said ending in a chuckle as you tried to actually catch your SOUL only for you hand to faze completely through it. “Along with some other things. We filled in what our SOUL appeared to need most. Your body and SOUL naturally did the rest.”

Huh. That was an interesting concept to think about but where did they get this other determination or perseverance from? Considering this was entirely experimental you decided that you probably didn’t want to know. “So… you basically cooked with SOUL traits, right?”

Sans stretched absently. “Pretty much.”

“Then… If Alphys was the head chef… Does that make you a _soul_ chef?” The skeleton stopped stretching to look at you with happy eye sockets. You were back in action.

His magic stopped and your SOUL went back into your chest where it belonged. Sans reached over to pull you into a hug. “I’m so glad it worked. I’m not gonna lie. You had me a little rattled there for a bit.”

“You and me both.” You signed to him once he released you.

The front door to the skelebros house slammed open. Making the two of you jump so bad that you both almost fell off the couch. A certain tall skeleton made his way into the room letting out a kind of heavy sigh. Looking rather somber before he noticed the two of you sitting on the couch.“HUMAN! YOU ARE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!” Within seconds, Papyrus was picking you up, blanket and all, and pulling you into a big hug.

“Well considering her heart’s getting better… they couldn’t exactly keep her under _cardiac arrest_.” Sans’s chuckle was abruptly stopped due to the intense glare his younger brother was giving him.

“SANS NO!”

“Sans, yes!” You cheered out while silently laughing in Papyrus’s arms.

“WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN THIS HUMAN, SANS?” Papyrus was practically rolling his eye sockets at the two of you with a broad grin on his face as he did. “NEVERTHELESS! THIS IS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION! I SHALL START ON THE CELEBRATION SPAGHETTI RIGHT AWAY!” With that, Papyrus gently placed you back on the couch and headed into the kitchen.

“Sweethearts… You do realize that your door is ope- SONGBIRD!” Mettaton stepped through the threshold and into the living room. Once again, you were swept up into another monster’s arms who was happy to see you out of the hospital. “I didn’t know you were discharged! When did this happen?”

“A little over an hour ago.” You signed to the robot idol happily. “I was going to tell you here in a little bit. What are you doing here?”

Mettaton plopped down next to Sans while moving so that he was holding you in his lap. Somehow your blanket burritoness had remained intact. “Well, darling, I went to stop by after getting off set early today when I was stopped by a nurse who asked me to bring a bunch of your things home. To be honest, I wasn’t necessarily surprised. Your room was getting rather full.”

That it had been. Your eyes brightened as you kind of bounced within your blanket excitedly. There was something that you had been wanting from your things at the hospital but you weren’t sure how to get it or ask. “So everything is here?”

“That it is. The driver should be prepping to unload it all into your house.”

“Could you grab something from it for me?”

“Sure thing, beautiful. What is it?” The robot practically purred the sentence at you and you playfully pushed his face that had begun to nuzzle your forehead away.

Papyrus dashed into the living room from the kitchen with a slightly anguished look on his face. “OH MY GOD! WE ARE OUT OF TOMATOS! SANS! WE MUST HEAD TO THE STORE NOW!” He grabbed Sans’s arm and was out the door while carrying his older brother along.

You angled your neck so that you could watch Papyrus put Sans in the passenger seat of his red convertible before driving off. How Sans hadn’t had his arm popped from his socket… you had no idea. He was probably used to it by now. Mettaton stood up and placed you back on the couch. “It looks like the driver might need some help. I also doubt you would appreciate a complete stranger in your home. So text me what you wanted and I’ll make sure to grab it. I’ll be back before you know it!” The robot gave you a flirtatious wink while walking back out the door towards the limo.

A yawn escaped your lips as you settled back into the comfortable couch. The sky beyond the window was now pitch black. You had moved so that you were no longer sitting in the middle of the couch but on the far end. Sans took up most of it as he was sprawled out in a deep slumber. Papyrus was asleep on the floor next to him and Mettaton was out, right by your feet. The robot’s head was being propped up by the couch arm behind him. Half eaten plates of spaghetti and empty glasses covered the coffee table.

Your heart warmed at the scene around you. It was messy. It was cozy. It was nice. This is what you had missed the most while you were in the hospital. Everyone was so stressed and they couldn’t stay with you after a certain point in the day. Here, everyone was relaxed. Papyrus had wanted to invite the whole entire gang over in celebration but Sans had talked him out of it. To much excitement could prove to be bad for you right now. So the four of you had a blast with the little party that you made up. Well, three. Mettaton, Sans, and Papyrus wouldn’t let you do anything to help set up.

You wiggled out of your blanket burrito a bit and reached down to grab the thing you had Mettaton retrieve from the hospital stuff. It rested on the one clean spot of the coffee table. In one hand you held a pen and in the other was the song notebook. You didn’t want to forget this tender feeling of happiness, love and acceptance. So as quietly as you could, you flipped open to a fresh page and began writing. This way you would never forget.


	36. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When the hell did this hit 10k hits?!
> 
> Thank you all! This is just amazing!!!!
> 
> Also I've actually drawn several pictures for this story (like the one featured below) and just now figured out that I can put them in my work here. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? XD

  


  


That dress really did show off your legs. BP should be a fashion coordinator, even if you had felt rather uncomfortable wearing it. You currently sat in your living room watching a rerun of Questions With A Killer Robot the 1 Year Anniversary Episode. This was the first time that you have had a chance to actually see all the ridiculousness unfold. No wonder the audience was going nuts. All the silliness was TV gold. You popped a couple of pieces of popcorn in your mouth then threw a couple at Sans, who was asleep in the spot next to you. They bounced harmlessly off of his skull and onto the floor. Bound to be lost in the depths that was under your couch. As the show’s music faded out for a commercial, you could hear the experimental music playing from you music room from Mettaton checking out your collection and if you listened even harder you could hear Papyrus’s enthusiastic grunts as he trained in your backyard.

It was a few days after your initial release from the hospital. Both Sans and Alphys had given you okay for you to hang at your house by yourself if you wished. Even though you hadn’t really had a chance to yet. The three monsters appeared to have taken a few days off from work so that they could keep an eye on you. Mettaton scheduled most of his important things in the mornings or late evenings. Papyrus was giving the people he personally trained a few days off. Sans well… was Sans. You knew he had a hot dog stand but after all the stuff that had happened to you recently… It was obvious that the skeleton had more going on than what he showed. However, if he didn’t want to talk about it then you weren’t going to pry. That didn’t stop you from throwing popcorn at his skull though. You lightly tossed another and it flew true. It lightly struck the top of Sans’s skull right between the eye sockets. Then it did something that you hadn’t been exactly thinking would happen.. It did a perfect arch right into the hole for Sans’s nose.

_Shit._

You hadn’t thought that could happen… Could he breath alright? Did it just fall into his shirt? You angled your head around to see if there was a new lump under his clothes but there was no way you could tell…. Whenever he had on clothes, the magic kind of formed a belly that he normally wouldn’t have. It could have easily fallen through his rib cage to the couch. But you weren’t about to lift up his shirt to look. What do you do?! He appeared to be breathing just fine and it somehow hadn’t woken him up. You were internally debating on if you should wake him up or not when you heard a knock on your front door.

Who could that be? Still unsure if you should leave the skeleton asleep with a piece of popcorn in his nose hole, you stand up and set the bowl on the coffee table. If he was having trouble then he should have done something other than sleep right? He appeared to be perfectly fine. Another more urgent knock had you leaving it at that to go answer the front door before Mettaton did. You weren’t exactly up to explaining to whoever was there how an international monster idol was at your house.

As you held the door open, you froze. There, on your front step, was your adoptive mom and dad. A broad smile graces your face. With everything that has happened you hadn’t seen them or texted them in forever! You understood that the both of them were rather busy…(at least you assumed so due to the lack of communication) and had left them alone. Still. You were glad to see them. “Hi, guys! It’s been so long! How have you both been?” Your hands were flying with the sign language that they both read with ease from years of practice.

However, as happy as you were to see them… they didn’t appear to be to happy with you. “We need you to take a look at this, (y/n).” Your father simply stated as he handed you an envelope. Giving them a confused look, you pulled out the paper that it held and glanced it over. Your knees shook as you almost fainted. It was a medical bill. A LARGE medical bill. At the bottom held the 6 figure amount with everything above listing every charge that added to it. You had been charged for the entire 2 month stay, along with all the equipment, doctor’s time, etc…. There was even a charge for the “miscellaneous equipment” that Alphys, Sans, and Mettaton had brought in to do the experimental SOUL procedure. That charge was complete BS! It had nothing to do with the hospital directly!

“Now… how the hell did we not know that you were hospitalized for 2 months?!” Your adoptive mother’s voice grew more shrill as she spoke. “What the hell happened? How are we going to pay for all this? And what is this ‘miscellaneous equipment’ charge all about?”

The way she said that last part made it sound as though you had asked for unnecessary luxury equipment at the hospital when it wasn’t the case at all. Could you even do that?

Both of them were very pissed and you looked to the ground to avoid their eyes. You had been at the hospital for two months but not once had you considered telling them that you were there. It never crossed your mind. They had removed themselves so far from your life that they weren’t even your top contacts for emergencies anymore. All they had to do was text you and you would have responded to them but you hadn’t texted to them in at least 7 months. The most recent was them wishing you happy birthday and that was basically a formality. On your home phone and not your cell phone, no less As you continued to look at the floor, your mother continued her rant. She yelled at you telling how worried she was, about the money, why you were there, and what were you doing to end up there in the first place. Your adoptive father kind of stood off to the side like he normally did. Letting your mother vent herself at you. Yes. You know you should have probably contacted them but it wasn’t like they had opened up lines of communication to you either.

Unsure of what to do or say, you stood there and just let her yell at you. They had a right to be angry. They did. Just not to this level or degree. Also some of the stuff she was ranting about was making it sound like you were better off dead than alive. If it cost so much to keep you alive then it would have been better to pay for the cheapened cost of your funeral. Tears started to form in your eyes. This wasn’t right… you knew they loved you. They really did but once you reached adulthood they didn’t seem to know what to do with you. So they just naturally distanced themselves. They weren’t sure what to do with a terminally sick daughter. You didn’t blame them but they hadn’t gone about it the right way at all…

“Songbird~ Who is that at the door? They are making an awful amount of noise.” Mettaton called out from the music room down the hallway. A few seconds later he emerged and was standing right behind you after covering the walking distance with his long legs in no time. “Who are these people, love? Are these two bothering you?” The ghost robot casually slipped his arm around your shoulders, giving you a comforting squeeze as he did. His words sounded so soothing along with his actions but there was another reason he did it. Mettaton was being protective.

Your mother’s screeching rant comes to a halt. You looked up to see both your mother and your father eyeing the monster robot idol from head to boot. Temporarily starstruck by his presence. Your mother was quick to recover and the arm Mettaton had around your shoulders did not go unnoticed “(y/n)… Why is Mettaton in the house?” Her tone was much more civil with the monster idol now in her presence. You could still see her trying hard to contain her fuming though.

However, Mettaton wasn’t even looking at your parents. He was attempting to look at the medical bill that was still in your hand. “Beautiful, what is that? May I see it?” Before you had a chance to pull it away, he elegantly snatched it out of your hand and began reading.

“Sir, I’ll have you know that this is a personal family matter. So could you please give that back and let us speak to our daughter in private?” Your father finally speaks up after letting your mother do most of the ‘talking’ previously.

Mettaton looks over the bill at him while raising an eyebrow with a look showing how unimpressed he was at the brief bravado. “That’s not going to happen unless Songbird, here, asks me too. Just continue as if I’m a ghost.” He then goes back to reading leaving your father looking at him in anger. You had to stifle the small smile that wanted to form at the ghost thing. They both look at you as if you were going to back them up and shoo Mettaton out but you didn’t. He made you feel safe. Why should you ask him to leave?

When it was obvious that you weren’t going to ask the robot idol to leave, your father cleared his throat. “Listen, (y/n)… we are both extremely happy that you are alright but we don’t know how we are going to pay for it. After all, we are the ones who are paying for this house and all of it’s expenses along with our own. We need to discuss possibly having you move-”

“Hold that thought, darling.” Mettaton quickly cut your father off. “HAVE you been paying for anything of Songbird’s for the past….” He trailed off as he counted something in his head. “8 to 9 months or so? Give or take.”

Both of your parents looked at him confused before looking at each other. They talked amongst themselves for a bit then shook their heads. Incredulous looks were on both their faces. “No… no we haven’t…” your mother’s voice was rather small as she spoke. As if she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t noticed sooner.

“Of course, you haven’t. I took them over into my name when I started working for him.” You signed to them and jerked your head to the robot for emphasis. How had they not noticed such a crucial detail? Whenever they had sent you money for food and the like you had just wired it back. How had they seriously not noticed this until just now???

“Also…” Mettaton began, earning both of your parent’s attention. “Did you even read this bill all the way?” He flipped the bill over and unfolded a small section at the very bottom. All three of you move in to read the very last snippet. The large number was above but under it was a subtraction of the same number with a 0 under it all.

Your father snatched the bill from Mettaton and reread a few times. “W-what does this mean?!”

“It means what it shows. You don’t have to pay for anything because I already paid for it.” Mettaton stated casually as he flipped his black locks out of his eyes. “Now I’m not a parent but I must say… The fact that you are just now finding out about your daughter being _hospitalized_ for 2 months is horrible. Do you not communicate at all?” Your parents began to shift nervously under Mettaton’s intense gaze but he continued on. “What I think is worse is that by bringing this bill here… it’s almost like you are more pissed about the fact that she wracked up a huge medical bill when you should be hugging her and loving her. Glad that she’s okay! Seriously!” He leaned in pointing to the paper that your father held. “The cost should never NEVER matter in this situation. Songbird would have died without these treatments and the fact you are mad about it is basically saying that you wished she was dead. Just so you could save a buck. Now you have a right to be angry but until you figure out the real reason why you should visit you shouldn’t bother until you do. Because other than that you are a huge stress that Songbird doesn’t need right now.” Ending on a note of finality, Mettaton stepped back while gently pulling you with him and slammed the door in your parents shocked faces.

Wow. You look from the door to Mettaton and repeat. That was awesome. He had summarized your feelings and just threw them in your parents faces while giving them an ultimatum. Maybe now they will actually try to be apart of your life? That is when they figure out where they messed up… Regardless, the grateful feelign you had for the ghost robot grew even more. The next thing you know, Mettaton is holding you close and burying his face into your shoulder. You gingerly tapped his side to get his attention. You didn’t stop until he moved his head to look up at you. “Mettaton… What’s wrong?” Making sure to angle your hands so that they were within his line of sight.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I just slammed a door in your parent’s faces.” He let out an odd anguished sound then buried his face back into your shoulder. His head suddenly perked back up as a realization hit him. “Oh God… They are going to hate me…” He made the sound again and back to your shoulder his face went. You couldn’t help but start silently laughing at him. It was funny. It really was. It was sweet how he was beating himself up for possibly upsetting your parents, even though he had been 100% correct. Instead of berating him like he appeared to think you would do, you wrap your arms around him and return his hug. Mouthing thank you as you did it. “Why are you thanking me, sweetheart?” He stood straight. Taking your hand as he led the way back to your music room. His eyes on your hands and not your face.

“Because you told them what I was to afraid to say. They needed to hear it.” You moved to lean against his side while you walked alongside him. The sounds of electronics could be heard just below the surface. “Thank you, Metta.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, he moves to grab some sheet music that he must have been reading earlier before all this went down. “No problem, beautiful. I just feel that sometimes that I dive into things without thinking sometimes when I’m with you.”

“Same here.” You plop down on the bench that you normally sit on when practicing music. “Which one were you reading?”

“Oh! It’s uh sheet music by… Lindsey Sterling?” He hands the violin music to you and you glance it over. “There is so many notes on it that I’m having trouble picturing what it sounds like.” Without signing back, you pick up the violin. The one Mettaton had bought you for your birthday even though it felt like forever ago. You place the music on a nearby stand then pick up your bow to play a couple experimental notes across the strings. Mettaton moved to sit on the floor in front of you as you went about tuning your violin and rosining the bow to get rid of the scratchy sound it produced. 

Having Mettaton watch you play never bothered you for some reason. There were times when you were to scared to play in front of anyone. Including your close friends and family. Despite your dream to be up on stage playing for everyone you could. But never Mettaton. Soon the violin was tuned and you began to play with the smooth sound of the strings overtaking the small amount of noise that Sans’s snoring and the living room TV were making.

You needed this. It’s been so long since you last had the chance to just play your heart out. The hairs of the bow flew effortlessly over the strings with practiced precision with Mettaton watching silently as you played. “Songbird… I’m sorry cut in but this has been nagging at me awhile now and I want to make sure… how have you been doing since the procedure?” His voice was extremely low when he asked that. For a moment, you weren’t sure if he had actually spoke. You stopped playing and sat the violin with bow next to you on the bench.

Everything had gone up since the experimental SOUL procedure but only Sans could actually see it. Maybe Papyrus too. You weren’t 100% sure if the tall skeleton could see SOULS or not. If he did then he was an expert on not letting it show. However, you knew that Mettaton couldn’t see it. Not unless someone else called it out like Sans did into the tube or if he did it himself. Mettaton was now eyeing the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the room. Uh oh. Had he taken your silence in a bad way? You clapped your hands to get his attention. Only signing when he finally looked up at you. “Would you like to see?”

The blush that swept across his face was immediate. “Sweetheart, you do know what you are asking of me right?”

“Of course.” A gentle smile was on your lips. “Would you like to see?”

“You… trust me enough to do that..?” Mettaton’s face was hopeful but scared. As if this was something that plagued him. But why wouldn’t you trust him? He has been there for you whenever you needed it and has gone above and beyond to ensure your well being.

“Since when have I not? Come on! I wanna see it too.” You moved so that you weren’t sitting on the bench but directly in front of the robot monster with an excited bounce in your step.

Once you were settled, Mettaton reached his hand out and you felt the familiar pull of magic on your SOUL until it stopped abruptly. “(y/n)… are you sure?”

Was he that insecure about this? You gently took the hand that was still reaching out and placed it above your heart. Your free hand signing as you had a playfully smug look on your face. “Yes, darling. Let’s have a ‘ _heart to heart_ ’ shall we?”


	37. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT A/N!
> 
> Hiya, everyone! Here's the thing... I have actually getting behind in school work and art that I have been making for this story. So! To remedy this the MAIN story will be on a brief hiatus for the next two weeks. BUUUUUT!! You will not go without your weekly Mettaton Monday chapter. Instead, you will get a special side story that I have been working on in my off time. Kind of like how I did the special war edition only this won't be fnaf this time. As with all other special chapters... they won't happen until the END of the main story and with the side stories they are entirely up to you if they are canon or not. I will write them in a way so that they are plausible though. It's entirely up to you. I already have everything done for those chapters thus I can focus on working on the stuff that has been building up. I apologize for the inconvenience but at least it isn't on a cliffhanger!

“Oh my-… Dammit, Songbird…” Mettaton quickly clapped his free hand over his mouth to hold back the undignified snort from escaping but it didn’t work. You watch as the normally composed ghost robot lose it over your sassy silent impersonation of him. His black shoulder pads shook from the laughter that he was attempting to contain but failing epically at. You felt the tremors of laughter from the one hand of his that you still held above your heart. A broad smirk making its way onto your face.

You let him laugh for a bit before raising a hand to egg him on even more. “C’mon, beautiful. I know I normally have my _heart on a sleeve_ but it’s currently trapped in my chest. So let’s _skip_ the _beat_ ing around. At this rate, _aorta_ get Sans to do it.” You made sure to end with a sultry wink. Your impersonation of Mettaton completely flawless. Except for the puns. 

Nah. 

The puns made it.

Now Mettaton was laughing even worse. His hand had moved up to clutch your shoulder in a desperate attempt to contain himself. “Enough, sweetheart! Please! You’re going to make me blow a fuse.”

“I think you already did that to my parents a few moments ago.” Your hands signed as you stopped channeling your inner Mettaton. The smile still gracing your features.

“Don’t remind me…” His voice was rough and you could hear the fans in his chest as though he was having trouble breathing. You let you hands drop so that you could listen. It was an interesting thing to think about. Could he actually blow a fuse or overheat from laughing to hard? That would be hilarious but you decide not to figure that out right now. You’ll wait until Alphys is nearby. Next time. Next time you will test that theory to it’s full extent. Yet, what you did seemed to have worked. After taking several moments to regain his composure, Mettaton sat up straight with his hand still on your shoulder. The confidence that he had lost previously now restored. “Alright, Gorgeous. How about we have that _heart to heart_ now, hm?” As he drew his hand away from your shoulder, you felt the familiar pulling sensation as your SOUL came out with it.

The uncomfortable feeling that had happened in the hospital failing to have repeated itself since. It still felt odd but it no longer felt like it had. Was it because you had been scared? Did your current state of mind control how it felt when a monster pulled out your SOUL? This time you barely felt anything other than the slight emptying sensation along with the gentle pull. Not like the stressful tension of a rope snapping like before. It was like your SOUL had picked up on the moment of fear and had tried to resist. Had… Had you unconsciously tried to fight Sans? You, internally, shuddered at the thought.

Some friend you were. There was no doubt the skeleton picked up on the small resistance your SOUL had done. Sans was one of your best friends. You could trust him with your life. You knew this. Yet, you were surprised that he hadn’t brought the blatant lack of trust up. You eyed the floor silently for a moment before going to look at your SOUL. You were going to have to apologize to Sans for that later.

That and for landing a piece of popcorn down his nose hole.

Your eyes scanned the SOUL floating in front of you. This time it had a hot pink aura around it, instead of blue. You looked up at Mettaton to see if you could find any big tells that he was using magic like what Sans’s left eye does. When nothing appeared out of the ordinary, you gave a shrug and looked back down at your SOUL. Maybe because of the way his SOUL and body were integrated you couldn’t see it. Mettaton continued to gently pull until your SOUL floated contentedly between the two of you. The bright purple SOUL casting illuminated shadows on Mettaton’s shiny metal body. It hadn’t changed much since you last saw it. There were cracks covering the surface along with the purple being brighter than the first time. But it must have been a significant change compared to when Mettaton saw it last.

Still it took your breath away whenever you saw it. This little thing was you. Nothing more and nothing less. Your eyes glanced back up to gauge Mettaton’s reaction. He had seen it once before at the hospital but you hadn’t been in the best mindset to realize all that was happening. His pink LED eyes were giving your SOUL such a tender protective look. They were wide with his hands on either side of your SOUL as if he was prepared to block any attacks at it if need be. But they were still a safe distance from actually touching it. Which was a little odd. You slumped forward a little bit so that you could bring your knees up to rest your head in your hands. Your SOUL jostling around a little bit as your hands moved. 

A slight blush started to grow across your cheeks as you watched Mettaton continue to gaze at your SOUL with tender loving eyes. For some reason you were beginning to feel a little embarrassed as well as a little exposed. Though you weren’t really sure why about the embarrassed part. You hadn’t felt that way when Sans had brought it out the other day. Maybe it was because Sans could see your SOUL at anytime if he wanted, whereas Mettaton couldn’t? Or maybe it was something else. 

Your heart pulsed a little faster as it picked up on the slight nervous energy you were beginning to feel. Mettaton’s one visible eyebrow raising in curiosity at the sudden change. You continued to eye the robot while he eyed your SOUL. What was he thinking right now? What was going on in his head that his eyes would give off such a tender look? You wanted to ask but you didn’t want to break the comfortable silence with a hint of curiosity that had descended upon the two of you. So you looked away from Mettaton and back at the little purple heart.

“I can’t believe you trust me this much…” If you hadn’t of been paying attention you would have missed that faint whisper.

“Why wouldn’t I trust you?” You signed after snapping your fingers to get his attention away from your SOUL. He seemed to imply something similar earlier.

Mettaton watched your hands for a moment before responding. “Remember back in Germany… When we talked about my past a bit?” You nodded your head and patiently waited for him to continue. “Well… Even though I got better after Frisk beat me. I still felt that Alphys and Blooky didn’t trust me like they once did. For good reason! But it’s one of those thoughts that constantly crosses my mind…”

You give him a reassuring smile. “I’m pretty sure that they trust you completely now. There is no doubt that they have forgiven you.”

“I know… but it’s still something that plagues my mind.” Mettaton said with a heavy sigh. His hands dropping so that they rested in his lap instead of covering your SOUL. “It’s obvious in their actions and what they say that they have forgiven me. But I don’t think I have forgiven myself for what I did to them. Do they trust me? Am I good enough for that trust? Have I gotten better? Or will I abandon them again? I don’t want to lose touch and leave anyone behind…” He looked up with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about talking about some of my insecurities.. I don’t really have someone to share them too…”

“It’s perfectly fine! Who doesn’t have them? I mean, take me for example.” You gestured to yourself and your SOUL moved with your hand. “I was so scared that you wouldn’t want to be around me once you figured out my heart condition. Same with everyone else… because of how everyone, who was once close to me, distanced themselves. There is nothing wrong with having insecurities. Just know that you are good enou-”

Soft lips had your hands stalling as Mettaton leaned over your heart to pull you into a gentle kiss. His hands traced along your jawline to prompt you to lift your face so that you both could be at a better angle. You obliged without thinking about it. Your mind currently shot from the sudden kiss while your face heated up as a bright blush made it’s presence known. Mettaton leaned in a little closer accidentally bumping the purple heart with his chest plate. It felt as though someone had tried to gently push you and you leaned back a tiny bit from the small force. Your SOUL bounced back softly against your chest, but didn’t return, before settling back into it’s original position.

“SONGBIRD! I’M SO SORRY!” Mettaton jumped back away from you as he realized what he had just done, leaving you in a kind of daze while your mind scrambled to think of a cohesive thought. He was acting like he had dropped scalding water on you or something. “I didn’t mean to touch your SOUL! Oh my… Are you alright? Did I hurt you???”

While still in a little bit of a haze from the sudden kiss, you shook your head at him. “I’m perfectly fine. Should that of hurt?” It took your mind another moment to come back to earth and once it did you cocked your head curiously at him.

Mettaton eyed the floating heart in terrified wonder. “But…. I touched your SOUL…” It pulsed confused. Just like yourself.

“So? I can do that to. Well, I can try to.” Immediately, your hands were up and you were batting at your little SOUL like a cat at a string. The damn thing was elusive but you managed to ‘hit’ it a couple times with your hands phasing through it. Feeling nothing at all, when you touched it.

“Well, of course you can touch your own SOUL but for ME to- SONGBIRD NO!” Without any warning, you snatched up his hand and brought it to your SOUL. Making it so that his hand was cupping the purple heart in his palm. The feeling… was odd to say the least. It felt as though someone had pulled you into a snug hug but there wasn’t anything actually wrapped around your body. It actually felt kind of nice. You were content. Mettaton, however, looked as though you had just put a white hot coal in his hand. He eyed your SOUL with fear and a little bit of confusion. Soon he was looking between you and your SOUL. What was he expecting to happen?

You gave him a lazy smile. “See? No harm done.”

He didn’t look 100% convinced but the robot did relax a little bit. While you still had one of his hands captured, he moved so that he was back to sitting across from you. “Are you sure… it doesn’t hurt?”

“Not at all. Feels kinda nice actually.” If you could purr, you would have.

“Just… how much do you trust me?”

“A lot. Obviously.” The sass was back as you moved to sit in his lap. Your hand still keeping his under lock down so that he could hold your SOUL. You were still a little bit shocked by his sudden outburst. He was scared. REALLY scared. Not for himself but for you. Why? You look him in the eyes and ask him again. “Should that of hurt?”

Mettaton let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes..? No? It all depends really. If you didn’t trust me… Your SOUL would have taken me touching it as an attack. Doesn’t matter if it was intentional or not. I could have seriously hurt you… or worse…” He looked away with a somber expression. “I would have never forgiven myself for that.”

“Hey… HEY!” You released his hand so that he was holding your SOUL entirely on his own at this point to snap your hands to get him to look at you again. “Nothing happened. I’m perfectly fine. You could NEVER hurt me.” At that you, pointed to the fact that he was now holding your SOUL without your aid and his eyes grew wide. “I think this pretty much proves that.”

“That it does…” He moved so that his head rested in the crook of your neck while his hand moved to gently push your SOUL back within you where it belonged. Letting out a soft silent gasp as you felt whole once again. “When did I earn this much trust from you…?”

“SNRKED GAAAHHH!”

Both of you jumped at the loud ass noise that came from the living room. You both gave each other a worried look before standing up to investigate now that the tender moment was shattered. Peeking around the door frame into the living room from the hallway, you watched as Sans hacked and sputtered on the couch and your brows creased together in worry.

Shit.

The popcorn piece!

After your parents stopping by and then Mettaton helping you calm down, you had forgotten about it. This didn’t look good. Guess Sans could actually choke on the popcorn after all.

Mettaton stepped into the room and began lightly hitting Sans on the back to help him out. “Sans, darling! What happened? Are you alright?”

Sans hit his rib cage a couple of times before his coughing fit finally settled down. “Why do I taste popcorn? Why was there popcorn in my mouth?!” At this, he slumped back onto your couch and noticed the accumulation of popcorn that you had been idly throwing at the small skeleton prior. A wave of guilt spread through you so that you had to look away from the scene. You should have woken him up. If he couldn’t breathe then he could have died. You weren’t going to question why a skeleton needed to breathe without lungs. All you knew is that you may have almost accidentally killed your friend.

“My my! This is a mess.” Mettaton stated as he reached down to pick up one of the pieces. “Why is this all here?”

Shit.

Nope.

Not going to deal with this now.

As quietly as you could, you shrank back away from the doorway to begin creeping back into your music room. Hoping to God that Sans didn’t notice your presence. You would apologize later once the skeleton had calmed down. Just as you were thinking that you were home free, you felt a boney hand clutch your shoulder and your body immediately froze up. You hadn’t even heard the familiar sound of magic from him teleporting. “Sorry to just _pop_ in on ya. _Butter_ you have some explaining to do.”

Slowly you turned around with a plastered smile on your face. No use in trying to run away now. Might as well face him head on.“ Are you going to…. A _salt_ me otherwise?”

“That one was pretty _corny_ if you _kernel_ tell.” Sans perma-smile appeared to be genuine but that didn’t really mean anything. Your eyes traveled up his face a bit. Oh thank God. Sans wasn’t to mad. His eye lights were still in his eye sockets. One thing you have learned about the skeleton… Was when he was deadly serious or mad… they would go dark.

“Sorry but you seemed a little _puffed_ and I didn’t want you to _pop_ me.”

“Enough you two!” You could hear Mettaton growl out in anguish behind you. Breaking the kind of tense feeling that you had in your shoulders. The both of you laughed at Mettaton’s reaction before Sans brought his attention back to you.

Your head fell in defeat. “Sorry… I didn’t mean too… Did… you actually choke?” Now that the jovial air was gone, you were starting to feel rather bad again for putting him through that. You probably should have woken him up.

Sans scratched his skull with an amused look on his face. “Nah. I just wanted to mess with you. I was awake the whole time.”

“What…?” Your eyes grew wide as you signed it.

“Yeah, it fell into my lower jaw and I just swallowed it when you went to answer the door.” Sans was now laughing heartily. “But I will say the look on your face when it fell in was priceless!”

This guy…..

He made you worry over nothing?! SERIOUSLY?! Oh, you were going to get him back for this. Unceremoniously, you stomped into the living room and grabbed the bowl of popcorn that you had left on the coffee table. You walked back into the hallway and stared the small skeleton down. A handful of popcorn at the ready.

“You sure you want to do that?” Sans stated in a lazy tone but his eye sockets narrowed, accepting your corny challenge. Without a word, you start chucking popcorn at him. He dodges out of the way of some while catching others midair with his magic only to send it back at you for you to flit out of the way.

One of the times you dance out of the way, Sans nails Mettaton instead. “Now Sans… That’s rather rude. I’m afraid I must aid my little Songbird now.” His pink eyes were lit up in amusement as he grabbed some ammunition from your bowl and started throwing piece after piece at Sans with much better accuracy than you had. The three of you danced until Sans and yourself were panting from the excursion. Popcorn flooding the hallway. “I think this is a victory for the two of us.” The robot idol simply stated. Not winded at all.

“VICTORY?” Papyrus stepped in from the backdoor and eyed the popcorn chaos before him. His face fell a bit at the mess. “SCRATCH THAT. I DON’T WANT TO KNOW!”

“Awwww… Paps… You aren’t _CORN_ cerned for us?” Sans chuckled out from his sitting position on the floor.

“SANS!”

Rolling on the floor into a sitting position, you flash Sans a bright grin. “Careful, Sans. Though your jokes are A- _maize_ -ing. Papyrus might decide to _pop_ you.”

 

Sans sprawled out in surrender. His eye sockets closed as he addressed his brother. “You’re right…. _Butter_ do it now, bro. I’m feeling a little _burnt_ out.”

Papyrus made the motion that he was rolling his eyes. “NOPE.” He took a step back. “I’M DONE.” With that, the tall skeleton headed back out into your backyard.

Through your silent giggle fest on the floor, you felt yourself being picked up and looked up to find Mettaton carrying you. He let out a sigh like he was accepting some sort of horrible fate. “Alright, you Punsters. Let’s get this mess cleaned up.” You nuzzled into your favorite spot and refused to move. It’s not like the popcorn was going to start magically growing. He tried to get you to move but you refused. Happy where you were.

“Now THAT’S _corny_.” Sans’s voice chuckled as he gestured at the two of you.

“You _butter_ believe it.” your hands signed to the stout skeleton before nuzzling back into place.

“Stop saying the same pun over and over.” Mettaton let out an overly dramatic sigh that got you silently giggling again. The looks the two of you gave him both said that it wasn’t going to happen. Mettaton let out another one of those sighs before leaning up against the wall. “This is pure torture.” An evil smirk spread across your lips as you caught the robot’s attention.

“Torture?…. I can’t threaten you with a good time.”


	38. Special Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for Kay! Why? Because it's her birthday today! Happy birthday beautiful!!!!
> 
> Now this was something that I have been putting off but has been requested.... A LOT. I originally didn't wnat to use it because others had used it a lot but since she asked and it's her birthday.... how can I say no?
> 
> So here it is. No, the song isn't mine. It's Hard Drive by Griffinilla on YouTube.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Hang on! I’m coming! I’m coming….”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“I SAID I’M COMING, DARLING!”

The plain but pretty door that had a huge elaborate M on it was pulled open quite harshly by the penthouse’s rather irritated owner. The robot idol’s black locks were currently sticking up in places and he was rubbing his eyes. “Now… WHAT is of the utmost importance that someone has to be banging on my door at-” He paused when his eyes finally opened to look down at you with a look that was originally full of anger. Ready to bitch out whoever was at the door. “Songbird...?” his irritated voice quickly switched to that of confusion at finding you on his doorstep. “You do realize that it’s…” He paused for a second to close his eyes and check his internal clock. “3 am right?”

You gave him the most adorably innocent smile that you could muster while nodding your head. Yes. You knew it was 3 am. He must have been asleep and charging. Whenever he gets low on energy Mettaton kind of gets a little snippy with everyone.

“What are you doing here? And what is…” He paused to gesture at the rather large backpack that you currently had shouldered on your back. “That for…?”

However. The robot had a weakness.

He could never stay mad at you for more than a few minutes.

This, apparently, went unnoticed to him but you had picked up on it rather quickly. Using it against him whenever you deemed necessary. The anger, that Mettaton once had, seemed to evaporate the more you just smiled at him and replace itself with confusion. Yes, it was late. But what you had just found out couldn’t wait until the next chance that the two of you would have time off together. The past few months had been rather hectic with the new album the two of you had been working on, along with the world tour that Mettaton was currently planning out. By the time you two would finally have a chance to breath, he would either already know about it OR, with everything going on, it would escape into the dark recesses of your mind. Forever forgotten.

That was something that you couldn’t allow.

“You’ll find out soon enough! Mind if I come in?” Despite being up all day, you were a tiny human ball of energy. Your hands signing so quickly that the groggy robot had to take a moment to process what they just said.

“Of course, beautiful.” Mettaton stated with a yawn. He, elegantly, sidestepped out of the doorway and you rushed into the elaborate penthouse before he could say no. Not that he ever has before but you weren’t going to take the chance.

Immediately, you ran into your boyfriend’s living room. Turning on the huge TV while gently setting your large backpack on the couch. Mettaton, slowly, followed you in after making sure to lock his front door. He leaned against the back of the couch. His pink eyes now fully awake. They watched you with curiosity as you pushed the heavy glass coffee table off to the side so that there was a decent amount of space between the TV and the couch. You then delved into your backpack. Pulling out wires, controllers, and an Xbox One console from deep within it’s pockets. Without even giving him a glance, you began setting the game system up.

Noted. You weren’t the most hardcore gamer out there. You just had fun playing what you liked. However, when you got home earlier today… you had decided to pop in a game to see if anything had updated since the last time you had played. And it had. The moment you saw the update you had to show Mettaton. It couldn’t wait! Though there was a rather high chance that he already knew about it. But there was a small chance that he didn’t. Sometimes BP would make decisions without really consulting Mettaton about them. They weren’t HUGE decisions. Just small ones here and there to lessen some of Mettaton’s already huge workload. He would often make up a report for Mettaton to read so that he can change something he didn’t like or add to it. Even though he often just skimmed over it. Mettaton trusted him and BP was a savvy businessman. Some of his small decisions had increased sales by millions of dollars.

You were hoping that this would be one of those decisions.

“What is…Just Dance 2016?” Mettaton’s sultry voice cut into your thoughts as you finished setting up the kinect. You whirled around to see him reading the back of the game case curiously.

Setting the Xbox One controller down, you launch yourself at the robot and snatch the game out of his hands before he can read anymore. “You’ll find out in just a few moments.” your hands stated with a playful wink. Sometimes it was just a lot of fun keeping the ghost robot in suspense.

While the Xbox One updates itself, you plop down onto the couch and stare at the loading bar. As if your sheer internal willpower will push the bar to move even faster than it already was. That was one thing that you loved about Mettaton’s penthouse. Best. WIFI. Ever. It’s only a matter of minutes before the installation is complete and you are popping the disc into the console as Mettaton moved to sit on the couch. You moved to sit next to him with the controller in hand. The game began to start up and you were practically vibrating with excitement.

“It’s a dance game?” You nodded happily at his question while bringing up the list of songs that you could play. “If you wanted to dance with me, all you had to do was ask….” The suave robot effortlessly curled an arm around your waist to pull you into his side. Peppering playful kisses all along your neck and shoulder.

A bright blush flushed across your cheeks as you urged yourself to ignore him so that you could stay focused on the task at hand. It had been a long time since he has had a chance to cuddle you like this… and it was soooooo tempting to just melt into his side and forget about your mission. No! You came here for more than just cuddles! Despite half your mind protesting a bit, you push the robot’s face away gently. “ _Plie_! Stop! I can’t stay on _pointe_ if you keep distracting me.”

With a playfully overly dramatic groan, Mettaton dropped his face into the crook of your neck. “Oh lord, she even has dance puns.”

“I have a pun for every occasion!” You signed not really thinking if Mettaton could see your hands or not. You were rewarded with another playful exaggerated groan. He saw it. “Come on, look up! What do you see?”

Mettaton propped his chin on top of your head and looked at the screen like you had asked. “I see a bunch of popular songs from popular bands.”

“That’s right! The game came out with a set list at first. You just pick a song then you try and dance to it with an on screen character guiding you through the movements. But! This list isn’t all the songs there are.” You went into the downloadable content section and a large list of new songs popped up.

“My, my that’s quite the selectio-… Is that what I think it is?” A bright giddy grin spread across your face at Mettaton’s slightly interested tone morphing into one of surprise.

“Yes, it is.” Currently, on screen was the first biggest hit that Mettaton had ever come out with. The album cover artwork was displayed along with the rest of the music info. “Even the onscreen guide is an animated version of you!”

“I-I don’t remember approving this…”

“It was probably one of BP’s decisions. It’s a fairly new addition to the list.” Since you already had it downloaded, you brought it up before hopping off the couch and out of Mettaton’s arms. “Would you like to share this dance with me?” You made sure to give him an elegant bow while offering him a hand.

He gave you a smirk while raising his eyebrow at you. “Sweetheart, I can do you one better.”

“Oh, really?” You cocked your eyebrow at him curiously as he accepted your hand and stood up.

“Mmhmm.” Mettaton practically purred it as you made it so the song was two players. To be honest, the reason why you had arrived at Mettaton’s place so late to show him wasn’t because you found out about the song about an hour ago. It was because you had practiced a bit for popping over. You didn’t want to just come over without knowing a little bit of the choreography. You knew you were going to look like an idiot but you didn’t want to look like a complete idiot. Once you both were in the proper positions for the kinect, you hit start and tossed the controller back onto the couch. Wondering what exactly Mettaton had in mind. The deep techno started up on the surround sound speakers. Making it sound as though you were on stage for a live concert.

Then just as the first moves appeared, Mettaton muted the game and brought up the same song while perfectly in sync with the game on his stereo. With you looking at him in confusion as he did it. However you didn’t exactly have time to ponder on his actions. You both began to move to the beat in sync. Your movements not nearly as elegant as his. Then again this was his choreography. If he didn’t know it there would be a problem.

“ _Darling, I can show you where my love hides_  
it’s a heart beat  
on a hard drive”

“ _Yeah, I’m dancing with your soul in my sights_  
it’s a showdown  
in the spotlight”

“ _Honey, glamour’s got me out of my mind_  
like a kill switch  
on my backside”

“ _And the camera’s got you frozen in time_  
like a save state  
in a game file”

Mettaton’s voice cut over the music and it had you stumbling for a moment. He was singing the song. He was, ACTUALLY, singing it. Seeing your fumbling form, Mettaton gracefully pulled you over and began guiding you through the movements alongside him. Not caring in the least if you accidentally stepped on his toes or not.

“ _I’m dreaming like no Dreemurr ever could_  
There’s my name! Up in lights!  
Fifteen minutes won’t suffice, baby!”

“ _I’m sorry but it’s for the greater good_  
Raise the stakes! Pick a fight!  
And these ratings might ignite, baby!”

“ _You got a lot of nerve my friend_  
What day and age you think we’re living in?  
You’ve got a lot to learn human  
Did you really think the doc was in?”

All the perfects that flowed across the screen was making you bubbly with excitement. This was by far the best you had ever done playing this game and all you were doing is following Mettaton’s precise guidance.

“ _Darling I can show you where my love hides_  
it’s a heart beat  
on a hard drive”

“ _Yeah, I’m dancing with your soul in my sights_  
it’s a showdown  
in the spotlight”

“ _Honey, glamour’s got me out of my mind_  
like a kill switch  
on my backside”

“ _And the camera’s got you frozen in time_  
like a save state  
in a game file”

As the chorus comes back around, Mettaton makes you do a small twirl only to pull you back so that you fall perfectly into his arms. Silently giggling all the while. He uses the brief moment to place a few loving pecks on your forehead, nose, and cheeks before releasing you so that you could part to the opposite sides as the rap part came in.

“ _Electric personality_  
Persona fabulosity  
With romance, bloodshed, and intrigue!  
Give the people what they need!  
A star! For humanity!  
My face! on a million screens!  
Now turn your heel but don’t you flee  
Who needs arm with legs like these”

This was the part that you actually knew rather well. In perfect sync, you both swayed your hips while looking at each other rather than the screen. As though the two of you were in your own version of a dance battle. Your challenging face accepted by Mettaton’s smirking one.

 

“ _Get a load of my sequins_  
Strut my stuff, you know I’m glammorin’  
You’re gonna go to the dungeon  
Do you really think that I won’t win?!?”

You both advanced on each other while dancing to the designated parts. The score in game no longer your top priority. You strut your stuff until you are pulled back into Mettaton. Your entire body pressed up against his as he held you close.

“ _Darling I can show you where my love hides_  
it’s a heart beat  
on a hard drive”

“ _Yeah, I’m dancing with your soul in my sights_  
it’s a showdown  
in the spotlight”

“ _Honey, glamour’s got me out of my mind_  
like a kill switch  
on my backside”

“ _And the camera’s got you frozen in time_  
like a save state  
in a game file”

“ _it’s a heart beat_  
_on a hard drive_ ”

Mettaton guided you effortlessly through the last few motions until he repeated the last two lines of the song as it faded to a close. Placing his lips on yours while he held the last note. The vibrations from his voice resonating from his lips to yours. You smiled against him before returning it happily. Your eyes drifting closed as he pulled you deeper.

Begrudgingly, you pulled up for air even though that didn’t deter the robot in the slightest. Instead, he trailed soft kisses down your jawbone and neck only to repeat the same process back up. Your skin completely covered in a bright blush. “Do you want to do another dance?” You had signed it while not really wanting to stop but dancing with Mettaton was rather fun.

He chuckled against the nape of your neck softly before straitening up. Appearing to really contemplate your offer. “Why? I already won. Just like the song said.”

Quickly, you glanced at the screen and sure enough his point score was significantly higher than yours. “Of course, you won! I had you on a higher difficulty AND it’s your own choreography!” Your eyes narrowed challengingly at the robot idol. “I bet I could beat you in another one.”

“Oh, you’re on, beautiful.” His eyes mirrored yours while accepting your challenge.

Grabbing the controller, you searched for the song that you knew best. 

It.

Is.

ON.


	39. Underfell Special 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is going to be one more week of main story hiatus so that I can finish everything else up! Sorry for the delay!
> 
> P.S: all the artwork has been made by me! :D

  


**“Please input access code.”**

You raised an eyebrow at the oddly high pitched sounding computer voice as a panel in the wall slid out of the way to reveal a keypad. Why the computer sounded like a bad Japanese anime voice dub… you didn’t have a clue, other than the fact that this was Alphys’s lab you were trying to get in to. Shrugging it off, you reached up and began to input the code she had sent you via text. 

Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 sucks.

**“Access code: Valid. Please stand still for entry scan.”**

A camera popped out from a hidden panel above you and your entire body was shrouded in a bright blue laser as it scanned your being for anything bad. Your eyes scrunched up as you looked right at it while it did it’s job. That probably wasn’t the best idea. To late now. You blinked black spots out of your eyes as the doors to the lab slid open.

**“Thank you for your cooperation. Have a nice day.”**

Creeping around the camera that followed your every movement, you walked into the lab. You didn’t care if Alphys was a weeaboo. That bad anime voice for the computer was just weird. Before you the lab, that also doubled as Alphys’s house, was dark. None of the lights had flickered on like you had thought they would. Great. Now you had to find that part she needed in the dark. Why you were in a high tech lab looking for something, that had to be of utmost importance, instead of the scientist herself or someone else who knew what they were doing… you had no idea. But she had begged you because she couldn’t leave her experiment alone and everyone else appeared to be busy. So here you were. Taking out your phone, you opened the flashlight app and held it out before you as you proceeded to head further into the dark lab.

Accidentally kicking an empty cup of ramen on the floor, you nearly jumped out of your skin at the noise it made as it skittered off into the darkness. Evil ramen cup. You hugged yourself. You have never seen the lab like this before. When you were here, Alphys was always present with Mettaton, Undyne, Sans, and Papyrus being the occasional visitors. It was always lit up and bright. Now your light was casting ominous shadows on the wall and you didn’t like it one bit. It also didn’t help that Alphys had cranked up the AC for God knows what. You hugged yourself tighter as you shivered. With the way everything was, this lab was really really creepy. Making sure to keep your phone’s light directed out front. You didn’t exactly feel like walking into or stepping on something important.

Proceeding down a flight of stairs, you walked into the first room on your left. Just like Alphys had instructed you to do. It was some sort of parts warehouse. Shelves upon shelves held boxes of various mechanical parts and doodads that you couldn’t even begin to think of what they could be used for. The shelves rose as high as the ceiling. Your shoulders slumped. This was going to take you a while to go through even with the picture that Alphys had sent to your phone. What was worse is that it didn’t appear to have any kind of organizational system or at least one you knew. With a heavy sigh, you proceeded down the first aisle. Flipping your phone over to look at the picture and compare it to all the parts as you went.

Nope.

Nuh uh.

Nope-a-mundo.

What the hell was that?

That looks really weird.

Oooooo what does this button do?

Nope. 

RESIST! 

Don’t push the button!

A loud crashing sound had you silently screaming while you had debated on whether or not you should push the button on this weird capsule thing. You stood completely still. Listening. The items on these shelves weren’t exactly put up in the best way. Maybe something finally gave and fell? You were rewarded with another loud crashing sound that sent a shiver up your spine. What the hell was that? Alphys had said you should be the only one here. So what was making all of that noise? It wasn’t even coming from the same room you were in! Did Alphys manage to get someone more qualified to pick up the thing she needed and had forgotten to message you?

After sending Alphys a text asking that, you slowly crept out of the room to investigate. If it was some sort of experiment on the loose she should probably know about it. Yet if it was something else… To be honest, you hadn’t thought that far ahead. You just knew that those sounds weren’t normal. Once back out into the hallway, you pressed yourself against the nearby wall so that you wouldn’t be so easily noticed and listened. If there had been two crashes already then there was bound to be a third.

You didn’t have to wait long. A third even louder crash had objects cascading into the hallway and flying across the floor from about two doors down. Swallowing some fear that was starting to course through your body, you slowly headed forward. Careful to avoid the mess that whatever was beyond the doors made. Reaching the door frame, you peered inside. And froze. The room inside was filled with various machines and tables. The only light coming from them but there was something in the way. A large shadow loomed on the adjacent wall sending several shivers of fear down your spine.

It was tall. No. It was fucking huge. With a wide upper body and with at least… 4 arms? Whatever it was, it wasn’t human. Nor was it the shape of any monster that you currently knew. You were rooted to the spot.

You shook your head vehemently. This was just a shadow! It could easily be misconstrued as something else because your mind was scared. After several more crashes and you regaining your courage, you carefully picked your way over to the other side of the door frame. Pressing yourself against the wall to see what was causing all this mess. 

The figure was slouched at the far end of the room as if it was looking for something. Eventually it stood and the lights of the machines revealed some of it’s features. You relaxed. You knew that perfectly styled mop of black hair anywhere. 

It was Mettaton.

You let out a breath that you hadn’t realized that you had been holding. Of course Mettaton would be here. He probably got out of script practice early and decided to come over and get the part for Alphys to surprise her. It wouldn’t be the first time that he had done something like this. Thank God. You had gotten yourself all worked up over nothing. Stepping into the room, you made sure to clap your hands to get the robot monster’s attention. If he was here for the same reason as you then you might as well work together.

Plus it could be fun to tease him in the dark.

At the sound, he whirled around. His normally pink irises now a bright yellow. Probably to help him see in the dark. Within seconds, he was across the room and looming over you in such a way that your hands faltered in what you were about to ask him.

Something wasn’t right.

Flipping your phone over, you took a couple terrified steps back. Your heart leaping into your throat. What the hell? The robot before you looked like Mettaton but he had changed. A lot! His black hair was a bit longer with a reddish tint on the edges. The pink chest plate and heels were now a deep crimson. His normally rounded shoulder pads were now menacingly sharp looking. The most intimidating things were that he had 4 eyes and 4 arms. His eyes boring into you like a predator with a terrifyingly sharp toothed grin on his face. 

There was no way that this could be your Mettaton. If he was going have this amount of change done on his body, he would have told you about it and he hadn’t ever implied a thing. But if this wasn’t Mettaton then who could this be? Your smile faltered as you realized that your body had begun trembling. When it had started to do that you weren’t sure. However, his gaze wasn’t letting up and you felt like an injured rabbit cornered by a large wolf. 

He took a couple steps forward and you mirrored them while stepping backwards. Now out in the hallway instead of the room. You gulped before looking him straight in the eyes. Your fear filled ones quickly moving to the arms that seemed to be reaching towards you. “Mettaton… Why do you have so many arms?” Your hands shook as you signed but you honestly didn’t care. You needed to figure out what the hell was going on.

The terrifying smile on his face grows wider as he straightens his posture making himself even taller than he was before. He was easily 3 feet taller than the Mettaton you were normally used too. A soft mocking laughter slowly began to rumble from his chest and grew louder. Breaking the tense silence that was currently there. “Simple, my dear.” With alarming speed, he leaned forward. His face now mere inches from yours. “All the better to take your SOUL with!”

At that, you felt the uncomfortable pulling as your SOUL was forcefully torn out from deep within you. Letting out a terrified silent gasp as it did, you launched yourself backwards as the robot’s four arms lunged towards your exposed SOUL. Random items skittering away as you knock them back from your feet, you break out of the terrified trance that you were in and bolted down the hallway further into the lab. 

He had responded to the name Mettaton but there was no way that this was the one that you were in love with. A sadistic maniacal laugh rang out from behind you as the robot chased after you. It’s murderous aura fueling the fear that was already striving you forward as it was. Tears prickled the edges of your eyes as you barreled down the long hallways. Turning in various rooms in an attempt to out maneuver the terrifying robot. Which was hard because he seemed to same to have the same excellent elegance and grace that your Mettaton had. Only this one was trying to kill you instead of trying to steal a kiss.

Yours shoes squeaked loudly on the tile as you skid to a halt so that you could wedge yourself between some large piles of boxes. Working your way all the way to the back so that you had as much stuff between you and him as possible. You could still hear the robot’s laughter along with his red heels clicking heavily on the lab tile.

You gulped down air from your sudden run. Your SOUL floating out in front of you like a bright purple beacon. You reached forward and tried desperately to push it back within yourself. But it refused. This wasn’t your Mettaton. There was no way. Yours would never have forcefully pulled your SOUL out like that. He always asked for permission or you asked him to do it for you. Now your weakest point was exposed and you were praying that this…. _thing_ couldn’t see your SOUL’s soft purple rays through the cracks of the boxes. Had Alphys made a spare body but it went wrong? Why did it exist? Had Mettaton gotten an upgrade that you didn’t know about? You huddled down against the wall with your hands clasped around it in an attempt to block as much of the purple light it pulsed.

So if that wasn’t your Mettaton, then who the hell was it?


	40. Underfell Special 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I just got home. After this we will go back to our regularly scheduled main story updates! With Underfell making an appearance later in the week or as I get to them.

The clicking heels were practically on top of you and it was taking you all of your willpower to not huddle into a tiny whimpering ball. Your SOUL pulsed at a faster rate. It sensed your fear and it looked as though it was mimicking your heart rate. You practically froze as the heels clicked past your hiding spot. Continuing farther into the depths of Alphys’s lab. You don’t make another movement until you can’t hear the steps of the murderous robot anymore. Even then, you wait a few minutes more.

Quickly, you brought up your phone that had gone dark from lack of use. Not realizing that you had held it in a vice grip the entire time you had been running away. Your eyes were blinded by the flashlight app that you quickly changed for fear of giving away your hiding spot. There was a response from Alphys but you didn’t feel the need to look. You already kind of got your confirmation about the impostor robot already. It’s not like she could help you in your current predicament. Bringing up your emergency contacts, you tapped the one that said ‘Bone to be lazy’. He had requested it because it was his on pun on ‘Born to be wild’. Your fingers flew across the on screen keyboard. There was no guarantee that you could outrun that robot and you were sure that leading him to the exit was a bad idea. If he had it out for you after only seeing you for a couple moments, what would he do if he got loose?

That was something you didn’t want to think about.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**Somewhere in the basement of Alphys’s lab. Something is here! HELP!**

Not a moment after you had hit send did you hear a soft dark chuckling from just outside your hiding spot. Sending cold shivers of fear down your spine. You clutched your phone and SOUL to your chest in a vain attempt to hide as much light as possible. Your back rigid. Had he seen the light from your phone? When had he made his way back over here? The chilling laugh had faded just as quickly as it came and soon you were left in a suspenseful silence. You snapped your eyes closed and held your phone like it was your life line.

Please let Sans get that text.

Please let him get here soon.

Please. Please. Please!

Suddenly, the large heavy boxes that made up your hiding space were effortlessly thrust in opposite directions. The wood splintering and cracking on the unforgiving tile floor in a barrage of loud crashing noises. The menacing robot loomed over your small huddled form until one of his four arms thrust out and grabbed you around the neck. Hoisting you up high and out of your hiding spot. You gasped for air as the unforgiving hand cut off your wind pipe. Your eyes going wide with fear.

The robot’s face was just a few inches away from yours. An awful amused smirk gracing his face with his sharp teeth in full view. “Looks like the Big Bad Wolf finally found Little Red Riding Hood.” You took in a grateful breath when he let up on your windpipe for just a moment while cringing away. That voice was to similar to your Mettaton’s. Why does he have the same voice? You didn’t want to hear what this robot had to say with that voice. Don’t speak. Don’t say anything more! “Come on, beautiful. Don’t you have one more question to ask me?”

Was he serious? Was he seriously playing off the arms comment you asked earlier? When you didn’t respond right away, the robot’s hand tightened painfully around your neck as he cut off your oxygen again. You dropped your phone and SOUL to try and pry at the hand on your neck as your mind scrambled. If he was truly like Mettaton when he changed something then he wanted you to point out a certain part of his body. Then if that was the case then he must be accentuating the part he wanted you to ask about. His four eyes? Nope. You already commented on the arms. His outfit? No… It was then that you noticed his widening grin as he let you breathe again. That grin…

Releasing your hold on his metallic appendage, your hands trembled as they began to sign. “Mettaton….?” He seemed to hum menacingly in response and you had to suppress a shudder. This bastard was enjoying tormenting you way to much.“Why do you have such sharp teeth…?”

The sharp toothed smile that he had been giving you faltered for a fraction of a second as you assumed you had guessed right. His grip loosening around your neck considerably but not so much that you could wiggle free or fall to the floor. Yeah, you must have guessed right. This was to surreal. He looked like your Mettaton. Even acted like your Mettaton. But you knew that he wasn’t your Mettaton. The two yellow eyes on the robot’s face narrowed as he regarded you closely. As if he wasn’t sure you actually had guessed right on purpose or if it had been sheer luck. It wasn’t long before it appeared like he didn’t care. The smile now replaced with a menacing smirk. “Simple, darling.” he trailed a finger down your jawline and you instinctively flinched away from his touch. 

“All the more to devour your SOUL with.”

All the blood drained from your face as you watched the Mettaton impostor go for your SOUL. This thing was going to kill you. You were going to die and that would be that. Just as his face neared your frantically pulsing SOUL, you snapped your eyes closed with tears prickling the edges. If this impostor was going to kill you then at least you didn’t have to watch. You waited for the robot to rip your SOUL from your body. To absorb it with his and become a being of unimaginable power. You didn’t know a lot about how monster and human SOULs merged but you did know that the monster would more than likely be dominant with you forever trapped. An eternal limbo that you could never escape.

“You’re getting a little _handsy_ there, bud. But I think I have a better _handle_ on this situation.”

Immediately, your eyes snapped open to reveal Sans’s signature blue aura. It was currently wrapped around the murderous robot making it impossible for him to move. He was trying his damnedest though. His mouth was a few inches from your SOUL and he was using all of his willpower to reach it. You felt a familiar boney hand touch your ankle. Within seconds, you were no longer in the evil robot’s clutches but on the floor next to a rather pissed off skeleton. Your legs giving out the moment Sans released you from his magic. You kind of curled into a tiny ball around your SOUL finally able to shield it unlike before. Without a word, Sans reached down and with a gentle push your SOUL made its way back within your chest. Your breathing regulating now that it was safe back where it belonged. 

The robot let out a terrifying growl of anguish. “How DARE you take my prey away from me!” He was eyeing you as he said it until Sans stepped in front with his left eye blazing to match the venom in the robot’s features.

“Oh shut the hell up.” At that, Sans moved his arm and the robot was sent into the opposite wall. The sound of metal crunching against the wall making you cringe. “Hey, kid… Which room did this guy come out of?”

You looked up to see a tight expression on the skeleton’s face though his voice had changed from the angry tone to one of reassurance. You glanced around him to the robot as he continued to try and free himself but Sans’s magic had him on lock down. Feeling a bit better knowing that, you regained the use of your legs before heading down the hallways back to the start. Sans dragging the Mettaton impostor along with him. It wasn’t long until you were back in the room where you had originally found the robot. The stout skeleton’s face darkening as you pointed to the spot where he had been.

“Why the hell does she still even have this…” Sans mumbled to no one in particular. He stepped forward only to knock over a bunch of stuff that the Mettaton impostor had knocked about during his ransacking. The skeleton swore before thrusting the robot at the wall and summoning a small wall of bones. Before you could realize what Sans’s intent was, he launched them at the robot wedging him tightly against the wall so that he couldn't move. “Why aren’t the fucking lights on in this place?” He released his magic, so that all that was holding the robot to the wall was bones, and vanished. Leaving you alone with your almost murderer.

Eyeing the floor awkwardly, you felt your SOUL being pulled out again. The robot laughed as you sent him a glare. You had just gotten it returned to you. You didn’t want to be alone AND exposed to this bastard. So this was what it was like to be in a ‘FIGHT’ with a monster. Frisk and Mettaton had discussed this with you a couple of times. Just not in to much detail. Whenever a monster initiated a ‘FIGHT’ the target’s SOUL would be forced out. However this has never happened to you. The only times it was out was during intimate moments between you and your Mettaton. This jerk however was summoning your SOUL as if it was already his for the taking.

Without really thinking about it, you brought your hands up in an attempt to hide your exposed SOUL earning a sadistic bark of laughter from the impostor. You continued to try and push your SOUL back within you but it just kept bouncing harmlessly off your chest.

Dammit.

Not to long after, the lights flickered on and you finally got to see the mess that this room was currently in. Sans reappeared in the middle of the room shortly after. He, immediately, noticed your exposed SOUL and sent a glare that even death would be terrified of at the Mettaton impostor. The bones keeping him lodged in the wall tightened. Cringing again at the sound of scraping metal, You clapped your hands to get the stout skeleton’s attention. You didn’t like that sound and it wasn’t like the impostor was going to be able to touch you with your best friend here. “Sans… what is going on?” From the way he reacted upon seeing this room and the Mettaton look alike, had you sensing that he knew what was going on. You almost had your SOUL devoured. You deserved to know.

Sans looked to the floor before heading over a large machine that was tucked in the corner. The glass door was wide open with a small trail of smoke still coming from it. Was this where the robot came from? “I still don’t know why she decided to bring this all the way up here…” Sans stated as he gazed at the machine with you walking to stand next to him. “This machine… was a project that Alphys and I were working together on. It was supposed to give us access to other time lines so that maybe we could go back and stop the war between monsters and humans. But it never worked quite right. Instead we would get feedback of other time lines but they would be changed. The data was similar to ours but had slight differences. Like the same people but different areas or same areas with the people switched.”

“Like an alternate universe?” Your hands signed to him with your interest peeked now that the fear was gone. This was an amazing discovery! Why the hell had Sans and Alphys abandoned this project?

“Exactly.” Sans reached up and rubbed the back of his skull absently. “But we could never get anything more than data back. Let alone have someone go through it.”

Your eyes grew wide. Alternate universe… That Mettaton wasn’t an impostor. He was the Mettaton from another universe. You shuddered at the thought. “If this is a Mettaton from an alternate universe… then where is our Mettaton?”

Sans shrugged. “I’m not sure. They could have switched places or Mettaton could be wherever he currently is. Like I said, we never got it to work right.” He then turned and narrowed his eye sockets at the robot. “But apparently someone on his end did.” The skeleton moved to look over the machine. His brow bones lowered in pensive thought. “This… This thing is fully functional. Did he recaliberate it?”

“What does that mean…?” You moved so that Sans could see you sign as he continued to examine the machine.

“It’s probably set to whichever alternate universe he came from so that he can go back and judging on how violent he is…” Sans stood and eyed the evil looking Mettaton suspiciously. “He should go the hell back.” The aura reappeared around the robot as the bones holding the silent robot in place disappeared. He moved his arm and the other Mettaton was thrown into the pod that you both assumed he came from. Sans hit a button and the machine started to whir to life releasing his hold on the robot. “We gotta make sure more like him can’t get back here.”

Gloved mechanical hands launched themselves from within and wrapped around your body. Dragging you into the pod with the menacing Mettaton. The glass door snapping closed behind the retreating arms. “As I said before. This beauty is MINE!” A bright white light filled your vision as the machine did it’s thing. Somehow you managed to push your SOUL back within you while you snapped your eyes shut to block out the blinding light.

You felt sick. This wasn’t like Sans’s shortcuts at all. Soon the loud ringing that had formed in your ears faded along with the bright light. You heard the glass door open and you tumbled out onto the floor. Desperate to get away from this evil Mettaton. Your vision swam as an intense feeling of vertigo hit with black spots forming at an alarming rate. Where ever you were.. it was dark. You needed to get away but you could feel your consciousness slipping. Terrified tears trailed down your cheeks as everything faded to black.


	41. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 700 KUDOS?!?!?! Thank you so much everyone!!!!!!!!!

Tall buildings gently coasted by as the limo went on its way towards your destination. You sat next to Mettaton in the back seat practically vibrating from the excitement that you felt. Your robot companion chuckling at your blatant enthusiasm. “These seats have a built in vibrate function but, with you here, I guess I don’t need it.”  
Why a robot would need a seat vibrate function without having organic muscles, was beyond you. However, his words got thoughts circulating in your mind and it took all your will power to keep a straight face. Time to make the Mettabae blush. Well, you assumed Mettabae. You still weren’t sure what his answer had been back when you had asked. You’ll have to ask the next time you two are alone for a while. “I bet you’re better at it than I am.” Your hands sign fluently as you leaned into his side giving him the biggest shit eating grin you can muster with your eyelids half lidded in a sexy gaze. 

It worked.

A deep red hue flushed across Mettaton’s synthetic skin and he had to look away quickly. You were rolling with silent laughter at his flustered state. A big smile took up the majority of your face. It was so much fun to playfully tease him like this. This was great. Today was the best day you’ve had in a long time. Not only did Alphys and Sans clear you to go back to work at the studio but you also get to work right alongside Mettaton the whole time. Since you haven’t been there while the renovations were going on, he wanted to give you a tour of all the remodeled and new things. After that, the two of you were going to get back to discussing his new album. Something that has been put off for way to long due to your absence. A small twinge of guilt pained your chest. 

You knew there wasn’t anything that you could have done about it but you did feel bad that the project had been put on hold the entire time you were in the hospital. Mettaton hadn’t allowed you to do anything work related except write songs for fun if you wished. He didn’t want the added stress to hinder your recovery. Speaking of, the Mettabae seemed to have recovered from your teasing. His long metal arm moved to settle itself across your shoulders to which you happily leaned into his side, once more.  
The moment that you got the results from the test back from Alphys (along with her okay), you had texted him up and he had been thrilled. So thrilled that Mettaton had wanted to escort you himself. So now here you were. Settled against the robot idol while watching the suburbs transform into a sprawling city. Despite it taking no time at all, it felt like the ride took a couple hours. To say that you had been stir crazy, from being home, for so long would be an understatement. You were so happy that you could go to work again!  
Large letters popped into the horizon and you leaned across Mettaton’s lap to look out his window with him chuckling at your antics. There it was. MTT Studios. Your eyes followed the letters on top of the large building down as the building pulled into view until they stopped at a rather large crowd gathered right outside the front doors. The people didn’t look like the normal group that would line up to get a tour of the studio. In fact, instead of happy, they all looked downright angry. Several had large picket signs that you couldn’t read from your current position and distance. Worried, you moved back into your seat while making sure to tap Mettaton’s arm to get his attention. “Who are those people, Mettaton? And why does it look like they are protesting something?”

“What?” Mettaton, quickly, looked out the window with his smile turning into a frown. “Oh not this again… I had tried my hardest to get them to back off for today…This isn’t something that you should have to deal with on your first day back. Stay here until I come get you.” Before you could ask him what was going on, the limo pulled to a stop directly in front of the crowd and Mettaton had already waltzed out of the vehicle. As soon as the crowd noticed his presence, they swarmed the ghost monster. Angry chants and rants boomed from the crowd as bodies pressed together to surround Mettaton. Unconsciously, you moved to the opposite side of the limo to get away from the angry group. You were rather thankful that you were still inside the vehicle. There was no way that you were going to attempt to get into the studio with all of those people in the way. That was a bad situation just waiting to happen. But how was Mettaton even going to get through them?

Mettaton let out a high pitched whistle that carried over the angered crowd then waited patiently. His body language completely relaxed. He appeared to be unfazed by the intimidating crowd in front of him and it just seemed to add more fuel to the fire. Luckily, the idol didn’t have to wait long. Four large bunny monsters, with black T-shirts saying SECURITY, easily walked through the crowd of angry humans. Their intimidating aura making them give the monsters a respectable distance. The bunny monsters lined up, with two on the left and two on the right, creating a sizeable gap in the center of the mob. They gave Mettaton a nod and the robot turns to open the limo door for you.  
Your eyes glance from him to the crowd and back. The worry now turned into concern. “Mettaton…? What is going on here…?” You ask before accepting the hand he offered you.  
“I’ll tell you later in my office, beautiful. Let’s get you safely inside first.” His voice was soft as he spoke but the edge in it, which you had barely noticed, got the point across. Now wasn’t the time for chit chat. You led the way into the studios with Mettaton right on your heels. Cries of outrage rang out from the crowd. 

“Traitor!”

“Who the hell is she?!”

“What are you doing?!”

I’m going to work. Can’t you all tell? You wanted to say to them but opted out of it. Instead you ignored their hurtful words and continued into the studio, even after one protestor threw a drink at you. Seeing it coming flying at you out of the corner of your eye, you had stopped and flinched. Readying yourself for the impact that never came. “Thank you for your concern, darling, but I don’t think she is thirsty.” You looked up to see that Mettaton had extended his robotic arm to snatch the beverage out of the air. Not a drop spilling from within. With his free hand, he gently pushed against your back to prompt you to get moving again. You didn’t need to be told twice.

Quickly, your legs carried you the last few feet through the doors of the studio and to safety. You didn’t take a breath until the automatic doors closed behind you and Mettaton. Before you had a chance to turn and ask the robot what was going on, you were pulled off your feet into a furry bear hug from behind. “Well, if it isn’t the little Songbird, herself! It’s great to see you back!” You looked up to see who, exactly, was hugging you and it turned out to be one of the other burly bunny security monsters. He was the one that often stood guard right outside the entryway into the studio’s depths checking everyone’s passes to make sure they were legit. The bunny man was smaller than the 4 that had helped you get into the studio. You had seen them all wander around before and they teased you a bit but they were all exceptionally nice. Whenever you went on break, they always had a cinnamon bunny for you.

“Hi, Hop. It’s good to be back.” You give the bunny monster a bright smile once you wormed your hands free to talk to him. He returns it then sets you back on the floor to return to his post. Your feet hadn’t been on the ground two seconds before his 4 brothers came in from dealing with the crowd outside. Each swept you up into their own furry hug. Hippity, Bippity, Hoppity, and Boppity all shared how glad they were to see you out of the hospital before heading back to their stations. Bippity even snuck you a cinnabunny when the other 3 had headed out.

“My, my! You sure are popular, aren’t you Songbird?” Mettaton teasing voice trailed out from behind you and you just gave him a smile while taking a bite from the cinnamon treat. BP and Napstablook weren’t the only people you had become friends with at the studio since you started working there. He chuckles at your puffed-out cheeks. “Well, when you are done getting hugged to death come meet me in my office. It’s still in the same place as always so you should be able to find it easily. Have fun, gorgeous~” At that, he pecked your forehead before disappearing into the studio’s depths.

However, before you could take another bite of your treat, you were pulled into another hug. This time it was the hand monster who was the receptionist. Despite having a rather rocky start, you actually had a fairly good relationship with her after she realized you weren’t going to be leaving anytime soon. These sudden hugs kept up even when you managed to get into the labyrinth of hallways. Everyone was glad to see that you were okay and your heart swelled at all of the love and affection. You got along fairly well with everyone but you didn’t know that you had left that positive of an impact on them all. As you were released from another hug, you turned down a hallway accidentally bumping into someone coming the opposite way. Stumbling back a couple of steps, you rubbed your aching nose that had taken the brunt of the impact. “Oh! I’m so sorry about that! Are you okay?”

You look up at the man you had bumped into and your first impression was to take a couple more steps back. The man was about medium height with large glasses and greasy brown hair. He had a large camera hanging around his neck with a press badge pinned to the lapel of his coat. You nodded your head but narrowed your eyes suspiciously at him. Reporters weren’t allowed past this point without a proper escort. The studio had had its fair share of lost reporters. It was just you and him in the hallway. Not only did this guy give off a really shady vibe but he was acting shady as well. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t supposed to be here. Taking out your phone and beginning to text Mettaton, two large male hands wrapped around yours to prevent you from typing. “Wait, please! It’s not what it looks like, I promise. My name is Mason Koppel. You can just call me Koppel. I was told that the bathrooms were that way but I took a wrong turn. Now I’m completely lost!” Your gaze turns to your hands in his and you tug them free from his. You didn’t like it when random people grabbed your hands like that. It was like they were taking away your only way to speak.

But his excuse was plausible. It, certainly, wasn’t the first time that this has happened. You dropped your hands to your sides and gestured to him to continue. If this guy was lying you had your finger to hit call on Mettaton’s phone so he can listen in on the conversation and come help. On the other hand, if this guy was genuine and didn’t understand sign language, you could open the text to voice app you still had. That thing was insanely handy. Ha. _Handy_.

“Thank you! Could you give me directions back to the fron- wait… do I know you?” Koppel’s smile grew but now you were even more confused. You were pretty sure that you would recognize this guy if you had managed to meet before. This confrontation was getting weirder by the minute. “YEAH! You’re the girl who won that song contest. Then you appeared in that viral video with Mettaton and guest starred on his Quiz Show.” Your eyes grew wide. How the hell did he remember those things? Each of them had happened months apart from each other. How could he recognize you from that little amount of exposure? “Come with me a sec!” Koppel grabbed your arm and led you down the hall into a nearby conference room then shut the door.

Immediately, you backed away from the shady man. Your hand had fumbled with the phone when he suddenly grabbed your arm but you hoped that you had hit the call button for Mettaton. You did not want to be alone with this man. The moment the door was closed, Koppel rounded on you with a bright grin on his face. He brought an old tape recorder and held it towards you after hitting the record button. “So Miss… Songbird, was it? I’m pretty sure that isn’t your real name but we’ll go with this for now. Let’s get right to the nitty gritty. What is your relationship with Mettaton?”

…What?

Your brows knit together as your mouth formed a tight line hiding the complete shock that you were feeling. There was no way in hell that you were going to discuss something so personal with a complete stranger. Seeing your change in demeanor, Koppel scratched the back of his head and tried again. “Okay… Why don’t we start somewhere else?”  
“How long have you known Mettaton?”

When you didn’t respond, he just kept asking questions.

“Are you dating?”

“When did you meet?”

“What is he like behind the scenes?”

“Is it true that he was built by Alphys?”

“Have you been on a date with him?”

“Have you kissed?”

“Why did you and he seem to disappear mysteriously from the studio for about 2 months?” Koppel leaned in while waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “What were you doing in all of that alone time?”

Was this guy serious? Was he, actually, serious? Who in their right mind would answer these questions by a reporter? Also, did he not see how everyone was just happy to see you back? You, unconsciously, took a couple more steps away from him but this time he stepped forward the same amount of steps. Alarm bells were going off in your head. There was no way in hell that you were going to give this guy any information. This guy was WAY to fixated on the robot idol that there was no way that it could be healthy. Speaking of, Mettaton had to be wondering where you were by now. That’s it! A way out!

“Sorry but you are interrupting my work. I have to go see my boss.” Your hands signed while you tried to keep your best poker face. With that, you made a calm dash towards the door. You didn’t know if Koppel could understand sign language but you, honestly, didn’t care. You just wanted away from this creepy guy.

“Wait! I’m not done!” Koppel, however, was taller than you. He easily cut you off from the door in a couple strides. To avoid bumping into the guy again, you pushed your arms out to stop yourself. He just took it as an opportunity. Quick as a flash, his hand wrapped around yours. Twisting it, and you, until he had you pinned with your back to the wall next to the door. Your eyes grew wide with fear. This had escalated WAY to fast. “What about the human rights protestors outside? Surely, you know about the racist scandal that is tarnishing MTT Studios name? After all, you are human and you do work here.”

You, vehemently, shook your head. What the hell was he talking about? Scandal? What scandal? Even if you did know something about it, there was no way you were going to tell him anything. There was a sound coming from your phone but you were too busy watching Koppel’s movements to address it. You watched as the man’s face darkened menacingly at your refusal to cooperate. “Well. If you won’t tell me then I guess I’ll have to try another way of getting it out of you.”

Something snapped in your head. With as much strength as you could muster, you placed both hands on Koppel’s chest and shoved him away as hard as you could. He let out a surprised cry but you were already out the door running down the hallway towards Mettaton’s office. You weren’t looking in front of you, like you should have. Instead, you were looking to see if Koppel was going to give chase. A soft solid wall stopped your escape as you ran right into it. 

“Song-UFF!” Your head whipped up to look at who you had ran into now with eyes wide in addition to the fear that had stricken your facial features. Orange fur. Pointy ears. It was BP. “Hey… Are you alright?” He places a comforting orange paw on your shoulder as the cat monster took note of your fearful expression.

Were you alright? Physically? Mostly. Mentally? Yes. Emotionally? Not at all. Regardless, you nodded your head then sidestepped around the perplexed monster making a beeline to Mettaton’s office. Just before you opened the door, you stole a glance back to see BP eyeing Koppel suspiciously as he sauntered out of the conference room like the reporter had absolutely every right to be there. You didn’t even give the man a chance to see you. Your hand whipped the office door open and stepped inside. Once the door was closed and you had a barrier between yourself and Koppel, you let out a silent sigh of relief. That could have gotten so much worse.

You took a moment to collect yourself. A moment to relax. It was during that moment that you noticed that you weren’t alone in Mettaton’s office. The robot idol hadn’t noticed your entrance as his back was turned to you while he talked to someone, in front of him. From the man’s appearance, he was a director of some kind. Suddenly, the full situation of what happened hit you full force making your body feel heavy. The brief surge of adrenaline was fading away. Not really thinking, you stepped forward and hugged Mettaton from behind. Pressing your face into the metal of his lower back just under the giant switch.

“What about- Oh my! I seem to be under attack by a rogue Songbird!” Mettaton chuckled when he twisted his head to see who had wrapped their arms around him. “I hope you don’t mind but why don’t we continue this lovely chat later?” The director was laughing at the two of you but nodded with a bright smile. He made his way out and you were alone. “Songbird…? Is something the matter?” The suave voice of the monster asked when you refused to release him. Ever so gently, Mettaton maneuvered himself in your arms so that your face was now in his stomach or where his stomach should be. He wrapped his arms around your slightly trembling form. “Sweetheart..?” You shook your head. You didn’t want to talk about your encounter. Not right now anyway. There was a high chance that you would never see that awful man again. “Well, okay then. Since you are here, I would like to show you the fruits of our several months of work. Now that you are actually able to see it.”

Mettaton picked you up and moved so that he was sitting in the plush chair behind his desk with you settled comfortably in his lap. Both arms wrapped around you soothingly. You looked up from your face’s new position on the robot’s pink chest plate to the large TV that Mettaton had gestured to. The black screen faded into a beautiful snowy landscape as music began to play from the surround sound speakers. Your eyes grew wide. You recognized the tune. This was your winning song! No way… Was this the music video?! It was done!?

All the fear from earlier faded while you watched the video play out on the screen. It was amazing. All of the hard work had finally paid off in a beautifully story driven music video. As the music faded out, you still watched the screen entranced. The excitement from when you were in the limo returned tenfold. You bounced in Mettaton’s lap signing to him your obvious excitement. “That was amazing! I can’t believe it’s finally done. I, actually, look good in the brief appearances I make.”

“You always look good, beautiful.” Mettaton cut off your excited rambling with a sexy wink. “Now. I have a question for you and feel free to say no…” You leaned in close with your bright eager eyes. What did he have to ask after watching something like that? You just wanted to show it to everyone! “Would you like to do a violin rendition of your song while on stage when it makes its debut at my next big concert?”

Your mouth dropped open. No way. There was no way… He was asking you to perform on stage with him in front of thousands of people. The one thing you have always wanted to do since you were little… and he was asking if you would do it. Happy tears, crested in your eyes as you vigorously nodded your head yes. How could you say ‘no’ to something like this? Then a realization hit you and your eyes turned from happy to a playful pleading. Mettaton laughed at the rapid transition. Patiently waiting for you to ask what was on your mind. “I want to do that but can we also do the song I have been working on as well? Just me and you?”

The robot laid back in his chair in thought. Scratching his chin for full effect. “Well, when you ask it that way, with those eyes, there isn’t any way I could say no, now could I?” His laughter returned when you silently cheered in his lap. Then his expression turned serious. “Now that all the happy stuff is out of the way, I need to inform you as to what is going on with the protestors outside.” Your hands dropped to your side from the raised position that they had been in. The conversation between Koppel and yourself earlier resurfacing. It took all you had to suppress a shudder. “To put it simply, they don’t believe that I am treating humans fairly in the workplace. Saying I hire more monsters than humans. Not only that, but I also overwork the humans etcetera, etc. Because I’m a robot and don’t understand human limitations.”

“Wow… really? That sounds really petty.” You signed to him once he finished speaking. That was completely stupid. Mettaton hired both monsters and humans equally. Not only that, he takes fantastic care of his employees. His company had some of the best benefits in the entire country. Anyone who was anyone would die to get a job here. There had to be more to this than just a racist agenda.

“I know that but this is just the most recent hoax brought about by this one reporter who has been trying to destroy me since day one of my career.” Mettaton rubbed his temple like he had an intense headache. “This man has stalked, verbally attacked, and has harassed me to the point that I had gotten a restraining order on him. Not that a piece of paper can do much. But with all of this commotion going on, I want you to be careful. This man is completely against monsters. He may try to interrogate you if he runs into you. If possible I wouldn’t allow that man near you.”

A pit of dread formed in your stomach as you already had a hunch as to who that man was. Still you had to ask. It would explain his creepy fixation, that’s for sure. “Who is he?”

“His name is Mason Koppel.”


	42. Underfell Special 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING! PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN READING THIS CHAPTER!!!!!

Ugh.

Your nose reflexively scrunched up at the horrible combination of chemicals and was that… blood? With a silent groan, your eyes shifted everything around you into focus. A thick layer of grime covered the tiled lab floor. Some of it now coating your side from when you had been dragged in your sleep. A faint purple glow was gently drifting along the surface and you looked down to see that you SOUL was still out.

Great.

To be honest, you were surprised that you were still alive. That evil Mettaton had been hell-bent on trying to take your SOUL. Now that you were alone and in his domain, it was a small wonder that you still had it. Why the sudden change in temperament? Oh well, you shouldn’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth. The awful high pitched keening of metal on metal broke into your thoughts. You cringed at the sound. Eyes looking for the source. Though you were now wishing you hadn’t. Across the room, was the evil Mettaton… and a very crazed looking Alphys. Her normally cute glasses were clouded with swirls on the lenses as though she was knocking off a crazed scientist in an anime. Instead of a normal shirt and pants, she wore a black and red striped sweater with a long black skirt so that you couldn’t see her feet. Overtop everything was a very used lab coat. It was frayed on the edges with deep red stains located on the sleeves, chest, and where it dragged on the floor. You didn’t know how those stains got there or what they were from but you really didn’t want to find out. After getting over the initial culture shock, you realized that the crazed yellow monster was talking quite loudly as she held a screw driver in one hand and a sharp implement in the other.

“Disgraceful. Fucking, disgraceful!” Alphys said in a tone that was full of disgust and malice. The foreboding aura that the monster was giving off was so intense that your blood ran cold. There was no way that this was your Alphys. She stood menacingly over Mettaton who looked as though he had seen better days. His hair was a mess, chest plate cracked, and one of his four arms was on the floor a little bit behind the scientist. “You are completely worthless, you know that?” She spat at Mettaton with him flinching horribly when she raised the screwdriver. “I do all of this work to make it so that we can access different universes and I give you one job. Just one teeny weeny job. Kill the first human you see, take their SOUL, and come back here. But no! You can’t even manage that simple task!” Alphys struck evil Mettaton across the face with the screwdriver before jumping on the robot monster so he couldn’t back away from her further. Your hands were clapped over your mouth as a silent scream wracked your body. What the hell were you witnessing? Fear was back and it held you place as you watched the scene unfold. The scientist began dismantling another one of Mettaton’s arms and he let out an anguished cry that tore at your heart. “Oh shut up. You wanted to be human. Well, nerve endings are a thing and after your screw up you don’t deserve to have them turned off! You would find the one human that we couldn’t properly fucking use! Did you even look at her SOUL? It’s cracked to hell just like yours!”

This caught both you and the other Mettaton’s attention. Your eyes went to his ‘belt’ and his went to your exposed floating SOUL. Within the safe confines of the belt was a tiny, white, upside-down heart with several small cracks scattered across its surface. You had to fight back tears. You have seen your Mettaton’s SOUL on a couple of occasions now outside of the protective enclosure. It was white and vibrant. Even though it didn’t have a color it pulsed with life. This Mettaton’s was almost the exact opposite. As though someone had broken him years upon years ago. What had happened to this one’s SOUL for it to look like that? When your eyes trailed away from the sad soul, your eyes locked with his. They were wide with a mixture of sympathy, fear, and comradery.

Alphys let out a successful grunt to Mettaton’s scream when she forcefully pulled the metallic arm from its position. “Not only that but I had to deal with your annoying counterpart. I mean I thought you were bad but this guy has his head so far up his own ass that it wasn’t funny. He could give Papyrus a run for his money in the egotistical department.” 

Anger quickly snuffed out the fear as it surged through your being. So Sans had been right. When this Mettaton went your universe, your Mettaton went to theirs. They swapped positions. Your eyes narrowed in rage. How DARE she speak of your Mettaton that way. She had no right. No right! Especially not while she is torturing the one in front of her like this. Alphys’s maniacal laughter cut into your thoughts and you focused on the two monsters once more. “That bastard had the nerve to criticize me and boss me around. It was all I could do to manage to keep myself from tearing him apart bit by bit. Who knew what would happen to you if I had killed him while you were over the-HEY!” She struck him across the face but this time with the sharp implement in her other hand. Mettaton had tried to wriggle free and now he was paying the price for his actions. “Just where do you think you are going? You fucked up. Now you have to pay the price.” The small dinosaur monster struck him several more times each with a pained cry escaping the ghost in the robotic shell.

No more. She was going too far with this. He didn’t deserve this treatment even if he had tried to kill you. This had to end! She shouldn’t be allowed to just abuse someone like that! Without really thinking, you push yourself up off the filthy floor and make your way over to the two monsters. Alphys was so focused on beating the living shit out of Mettaton to notice you come up from behind. Grabbing the collar of her lab coat, you forcefully pulled the scientist off of the robot, tossing her over your head like a ragdoll. Your eyes were wide. You knew that you could pick up the Alphys in your world fairly easily but this one was even lighter. You hadn’t actually meant to toss her like that.

Regardless, you twirl around with your arms outstretched in a protective manner in front of the other Mettaton. Man, you really needed a nickname for this guy. The easiest way was probably by color. Your Mettaton was black and pink whereas this Mettaton was more of a crimson. Crimson it is.

Crimson watched as Alphys skidded across the floor of the lab before she hopped up with a menacing snarl erupting from her chest with wide astonished eyes. She took a threatening step forward but you refused to back down. “Oh look. The worthless weak human is up. I knew I should have locked you up before you awoke. And-… what is this? Are you attempting to protect that worthless piece of metal trash?” She pointed a very sharp claw at Crimson behind you and you promptly nodded your head while giving her a glare. Doing your best to look as intimidating as possible.

It didn’t work.

The scientist had to hold her stomach because she was laughing so hard. “Oh this is rich! A weaker person is trying to protect another weakling? What are you going to do to me? Stare me to death?” The laughter was starting to get under your skin but you refused to move. You weren’t going to grace her with a reaction. “Seriously, this is too funny! Why are you protecting him? You do realize that the reason why you are here is because he dragged you through the gate. He can never do anything right! It’s no wonder why everyone wants him dead. To be honest, I don’t know why I don’t just shut him down for goo-”

SLAP!

While Mad Alphys was having her laughing fest you had cleared the distance between the two of you until you were standing right in front of her. You raised your hand high and smacked the yellow dinosaur as hard as you could right across the face. Alphys’s head whips to the side from the sheer force with a stinging starting to emanate from your hand from hitting her so hard. Your handprint now a nice feature to the scientist’s face. A silence descended upon the monster. Her face full of surprise that you had the gall to actually strike her. However, you don’t give her a chance to recover. “Just who do you think you are?!” Your hands signed while you still held a really pissed off expression on your face. “You have absolutely no right to treat Crims- Mettaton that way. Just because he messed up to YOUR standards doesn’t make him your personal punching bag or slave. I will not stand by and let you torture him right in front of me!”

“How. _Dare_. You.” Alphys recovered from her initial shock. She lowered her head and you could actually see her eyes over the glasses now. They did not look amused. Actually, they were full of unbridled rage. “I was going to let Mettaton keep you as a pet. A pet that I could experiment on from time to time but I think you would be more useful to me as a dissection dummy.” With these words, she lunges at your exposed SOUL and you realized just how much you messed up.

You fall back to escape her clawing arms as Alphys is sent flying into the wall behind her. The scientist’s tiny body hits the wall above the door with a sickening crack before falling lifeless to the floor. You stood there frozen. What just happened? Turning your head slowly to see metal next to your face. You follow the extended limb to its owner behind you. Crimson was propping his body up on his one good hand with the other extended past your shoulder. He appeared to be as shocked by his sudden actions as you were. “What… Did I just do…?” Crimson asks. His voice starting to tremble at the end. “Oh, what did I just DO?!” He wailed in fear and despair. His hand returned to him and one ran through his black locks while the other clutched his face. “I just knocked out Alphys. She is going to shut me down when she wakes up. Why did I just protect a fucking human?!”

Ignoring that last comment and letting Crimson have his freak out moment, you walked over to Alphys’s still form. You checked for a heartbeat and her breathing. She was fine. Well, she was probably going to feel it when she woke up but she kind of deserved it. Not wanting to deal with her when she did, you looked around for something to possibly tie her up with. Your eyes landed on the empty cage that Alphys had mentioned earlier. Even better. Gingerly hoisting the small monster into your arms, you carried her easily over to the cage and put her inside. Making sure to secure the lock, after taking any keys out of her pockets, the moment you closed the door. You didn’t want to chance her getting out due to a fluke. With a shaky sigh, you turned to the still freaking out Crimson. Your presence lost to the injured robot. This was too much. This was all just too much… you headed over to Crimson and knelt down.

He stopped mid-freak out when you entered his line of sight. He sat there on the floor. Frozen. Readying himself for whatever you were going to say or do to him. The tears were already flowing down your cheeks as you lunged into his lap. Wrapping your arms round his neck, you pulled his face into your shoulder. Hugging him tightly. His body remained rigid in your arms. One of your hands trailed up and started stroking his hair comfortingly as you cried for him. No one deserved what he had just gone through. No one.

It took Crimson several moments before his two good arms settled around your waist and his body seemed to mold into yours like a life line. “What is wrong with you?” You blinked at his kind of harsh words but didn’t move. He held you tighter as he buried his face into the crook of your neck. “I tried to kill you. Not once but twice. Threatened you. Dragged you to this hell and what do you do when you wake up? Protect me. Why? What is wrong with you? I’m just what she said. I’m worthless. A disgrace to monster kind.”

If you could growl you would. You pulled away a bit so that he could still rest his head on your shoulder but lifted one hand so that you could sign. “What is wrong with YOU?” His eyes went wide at his own question thrown back at him. “Why do you let her do those horrible things to you? I know for a fact that you could easily beat her in a fight. It wouldn’t be hard. You aren’t worthless. You aren’t a disgrace. You are you and only YOU can decide what you are. Not me. Not Alphys. Not anyone but you. No one deserves to be tortured like that. No one should have that much power over another. You aren’t her play thing to use as she pleases. I have no doubt that you are probably one of the kindest people in this cruel world. Kind, loving, caring and most of all… not a piece of trash.”

Crimson is speechless as he read your hand before a bittersweet smile cracks across his damaged face. “You are just like them.” A small laugh emitting as he said it.

You cocked your head at the robot. “Like who?”

“Frisk. They were the only one to believe in me until now. This is actually why Alphys sent me to your universe for a SOUL.” He heaves a heavy sigh. “We need one more to break the barrier and none of us want to lose that adorable brat.”

A smile sprouted on your features. Frisk was loved in more than one timeline it seemed. Your smile faded as you asked one of the questions again. “Why do you put up with Alphys like that?”

“Because she owns me.” His eyes avoided yours as he spoke. “I was so desperate to become a star that I left my family behind and begged her to make me a body. But since she did that I am completely indebted to her. She made me a body without me giving anything in return. So now, when she wants something done, she holds it over my head. If I don’t do well or as she says… heh. You saw what happens.” His LED lights dimmed in his eyes. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this but… it feels as though you already know me very well. Hell, I don’t even know how you know that she was Alphys. She didn’t introduce herself and I didn’t say her name. But… I haven’t been able to tell anyone about this. In this world… no one cares about me. In fact… they all hate me.” He paused but you urged him to continue at what he meant. “Sweetheart, Everyone in The Underground despises my show. They only watch so that they can send me hate mail, hate comments, death threats… Actually, it was agreed when I reached a viewer milestone… I was supposed to press my self-destruct button. But Frisk was able to talk me out of it.”

The fact that he said it so calmly made your stomach lurch. He was going to kill himself because his viewers wanted to see him die. What the hell was wrong with the people in this universe? You unconsciously held him tighter to you and he looked at you confused with your reaction. Fresh tears trailed down your cheeks at his sad words. It appeared as though he had ran out of tears for his situation because he had accepted his fate. But that was okay. You could cry for him.

Your SOUL bounced in the space between the two of you. Noticing that it was still out, Crimson gently pushed it back in and it settled back within where it belonged. “Is it true that humans have nerve endings in their bodies?”

Confused, you nodded your head and he laughed.

“Well… that’s one thing I don’t envy humans for.”


	43. Chapter 30

Slowly opening your front door, you peeked your head to peer out of the small crack you made. Your eyes, quickly, scanned the right side. Nothing out of the ordinary. They moved swiftly to the left. Once again, all was well. They moved back to the right. There wasn’t any change and you let out a silent sigh of relief. As quickly and quietly as you could, you stepped out of your house, closing the door behind you. Making sure that you locked it before proceeding any further. This was an odd change of events compared to the past few weeks but you weren’t going to complain at your stroke of luck. Turning back around to head out to work, you let out a silent shriek.

“This is a lovely home you have here, Miss Songbird. It’s a beautiful day outside, isn’t it?” Asked the familiar grating voice of Koppel, coming from the person in front of you as you recovered from the initial scare. You promptly flipped him off while your other hand clutched your erratic heart. He didn’t even appear to acknowledge it. “So… Would you say that Mettaton has a bias towards humans? It is true that he has worked with a lot of humans in his movies and TV show appearances but, when it comes to behind the scenes, is it true he treats them lesser than monsters? What about-” You tuned him out as your eyes narrowed into a distinct glare. He was rambling on and on with these distinct scandalous questions that would make Mettaton look awful if your answer could be twisted against him. Which knowing Koppel, he would find a way to do just that. So you did what you always did when he confronted you outside of your home, like he has been doing every few days for the past few weeks like a stalker. You kept your hands down and your mouth shut.

However, you needed to head to work and Koppel was currently preventing you from doing so. You tried to sidestep around him to the left but he blocked you. Still talking. Still ignoring him, you dash to the right only for him to cut you off again. The taxi driver that was parked in front of your house blared his horn at you and you gave him a distressed look. His bored expression was telling you that he didn’t care about your predicament. You were on your own with the creepy stalker reporter. Trying to get around him a few more times and failing, your anxiety started to grow with your distress. You heard the taxi driver mutter a few curses before putting the car in drive and heading off. Tired of waiting for you to “Stop playing around.” As the taxi picked up speed, you ran to follow after him but he was long gone. Your means of escape disappearing over the horizon.

Whirling on Koppel, you sent him a glare that could kill. Frustration filling your being right alongside your anxiety. Now you weren’t sure if you could get to work on time. It was possible Sans might not be home, at the moment, and it would take a few minutes for the limo to get to your house if you asked Mettaton for help. He knew that you had an encounter with the infamous reporter. You had told him. That whole scenario of Mettaton kicking down the office door while carrying you to interrogate the security guards, as to how Koppel got into the studio in the first place, had you stifling a grin. It’s a good thing BP has a bunch of doors in storage. That cat monster was prepared. Though, the fact that he got into the building was a problem and Koppel was now on every security guard’s watch list. Yet somehow, it appears that he had found out where you lived. Thus finding another way to harass you. Why couldn’t this guy just take no for an answer?! Better yet, why did he deem you the one to be able to tell him these things? Not that you wanted him to stalk Mettaton again, though you were pretty sure he was stalking you both at this point. Speaking of, Koppel had caught up to you. His mouth was still spewing questions and you just wanted to scream out of frustration. Why can’t this bastard just leave you alone?!

“See you later, Paps! Maybe next time you’ll actually be able to beat me at Texas Hold ‘Em!” 

“I DON’T THINK TACKLING YOUR OPPONENT AND HOG TYING THEM IS HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME!”

“SAYS YOU!” The loud heavenly voice of a wonderful fish woman cut above all the rambling that Koppel was throwing at you. Your eyes shot across the street as Undyne closed the door to the skelebros house and started heading towards the black sedan that her and Alphys shared. Hope surged through your being. You could get out of this AND get to work on time! All you have to do is get her attention! Undyne looks up just as she reaches the car and sees you across the street with Koppel. Or not. Luck was on your side today. She went to send you a wave but the clearly distressed look you had given her had her narrowing her eye suspiciously at the man in front of you. 

A plan began to form in your mind. Without any hesitation, you try to sidestep Koppel only for him to block your path again. He doesn’t seem to realize what you were trying to do. So you try a few more times and he continues to cut you off without fail. This was getting you nowhere but hopefully Undyne has gotten the message that you needed help with this guy. Standing on tip toe to peer around the man, you see Undyne has already crossed the road. Her long strides had her right on top of the two of you in just a few steps. “Hey there, (y/n). Who’s your new frie-” she cuts off when you use her sudden intrusion, into the highly one-sided conversation, to run behind her and press your back against hers. Effectively putting a barrier between yourself and Koppel. 

“Excuse me, Ma’am, but we were in the middle of something.” He falters for a minute before trying to step around Undyne so that he could be face to face with you again. Not letting up despite the sudden new addition. She doesn’t let him. Instead, she follows his movements and cuts him off before he even gets close. Just like he had been doing to you previously.

The tall fish woman glances behind her to ask you something but the pleading distressed look on your face are all the answers she needs. Turning back to Koppel, her friendly demeanor was replaced with a much more intimidating aura. “Looks to me like it’s done and over with.” She simply stated, leaning back against you a bit reassuringly while crossing her arms. You peered out from behind Undyne feeling a tad bit guilty for using her as a wall but if Koppel wouldn’t take the hint from you, that you didn’t want to talk to him, then Undyne would definitely make sure that he knew. She wasn’t one for being subtle.

“W-What..?” Koppel sputtered.

“Dude. It’s obvious that she doesn’t want you anywhere near her. So I’m only going to say this once.” Undyne’s voice had gone deathly calm and you were actually scared for Koppel for about half a second. “Back off. _Now_. And I won’t have to use you as target practice.” At those words, a large blue spear materialized in her hands and Koppel backed off at the sudden display of magic.

Realizing that Undyne wasn’t going to back down, he held his hands up in surrender. “I-I guess we are done for now. Thank you for your time ladies.” Koppel gave you both a small wave before heading off in the opposite direction from where you both stood.

You waited until he was decently down the path before venturing out from behind Undyne. She stood still as a statue with her eye never wavering off of Koppel’s receding form. “Thank you for that.” Your hands signed after she looked away from the man, finally.

Undyne let the blue spear fade away. “No problem, punk! What was that all about anyway?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. That jerk made it so my ride ditched me. Think you could drop me off at work?” You let out a rather tired sigh now that you could relax without Koppel being anywhere nearby. For some reason, whenever you see him, he just leaves you drained after your confrontations.

“Sure thing! I need to head out that there anyway to pick up Alphys. Get in!” Undyne’s serious demeanor was quickly replaced with a big toothy smile as she patted your back in what was probably meant to be a reassuring pat but you could feel the bruise already forming where her hand had been after stumbling forwards a couple steps from the force. The two of you headed over to her car parked by the curb and got in. Once you were settled with the door closed, you breathed a grateful sigh of relief that didn’t go unnoticed. “Alright, punk, no dodging. What was that all about? Who was that guy?”

“His name is Koppel. Ever since I accidentally bumped into him at work, he’s been hounding me for the past few weeks.” You couldn’t fight the look of disdain that made its way on your face as you signed to Undyne, who was carefully paying attention to you out of the corner of her eye. “Popping up when I least expect it. Asking invasive and controversial questions about Mettaton or our relationship. I never know when he’s going to corner me next. To be honest, he has been making me a little paranoid.” You looked up from your hands to Undyne to see that she had frozen. 

The sedan pulled to a stop at a red light and Undyne turned her head so that she could face you. “Why does that situation sound eerily similar to what Mettaton has been complaining about to Alphys off and on?”

“That’s because it’s the same guy.”

Undyne mutters a few choice words under her breath before hitting the gas when the light turned green. “Does he know about it?”

You start to nod your head yes then no then opting to shrug. “Kind of. He knows that I’ve run into Koppel but not about the rather…frequent visits.” It was something that you knew you should tell him about but hadn’t really gotten a chance to due to all of the work that has been piling up for the robot. That’s also why you had ordered a can of bear mace online and carried it with you on your person at all times. You would prefer a knife or a weapon but you didn’t want him to be able to use it on you in the off chance that he got a hold of it.

“You need to tell Mettaton about it. Immediately.” Undyne’s voice was so deadly serious that your head whipped up to find her looking at you with a very worried expression. “Trust me. This is just the start. His antics will just get worse the more this continues. Mettaton has already taken precautions but sometimes that slimy man still slips through. Koppel can’t hurt Mettaton because more than likely it will be linked back to him as the first suspect but with you… he may take it a step further since you are a human. Please tell Mettaton at work today.” Your head nodded to her as Undyne pulled the car to a stop in front of the studio with the protesters. She steps out and beckons you to follow. “Come on, punk! I won’t let these guys anywhere near ya!” She waited patiently by the driver’s side of the car until you were standing next to her in front of the crowd of human rights protesters. Just how were you both going to get through them?

“Should we call securi-” You started to ask but was cut off when Undyne vigorously shook her head. “Then how are we-”

“HEY, NERDS! OUT OF THE WAY!” With the enormous strength hidden by her skinny form, she lifted you with ease around the stomach with one arm. The humans barely had time to register her yell before she charged at them. The crowd scrambling to get out of her way. Undyne made it through the group of protesters easily as the humans moved out of her way to avoid being trampled. In a manner of seconds, the strong fish woman was gently placing you on your feet within the safety of the studio. “That’s how.” You blinked a couple of times before it registered that you were inside. “Now. Make sure to tell Mettaton about that creep and just so you don’t have to worry about him bothering you when you get off, I’ll take ya home tonight. Sound good?”

“That sounds awesome!” You signed before pouncing Undyne in a hug.

She laughs loudly getting the attention of everyone in the room. “Well, text me when you get off. See you then!” With that she turns on her heels and charges back out the doors. The surprised screams of the protesters ringing out in her wake. You shook your head at her back then headed into the studio’s depths to get to work.

He was here. Koppel was at the studio! Or at least you thought so. You had been jumpy all day from seeing the man out of the corner of your eye only to find that he was either gone or never there to begin with. Regardless, you were paranoid as hell. Which did not go unnoticed to your current ghostly companion. Napstablook had his somber gaze on you as you yet again jumped to investigate behind some boxed lighting equipment backstage. “Hey… Are you okay….? You don’t have to tell me… if you don’t want to…”

His timid voice pulled you out of the brief panicked haze that your mind was currently in. The worried look that the ghost monster was giving you had you copying Sans as you plastered a fake, but convincing, smile on your face. “Yeah, I just keep thinking I’m seeing something out of the corner of my eye. It’s nothing.” You must be a better actress than you thought because Napstablook bought it. You continued about your day trying your best to minimize your skittishness. Turns out that it was uneventful because you didn’t directly see Koppel the entire time you were there. He wasn’t the only person you didn’t see either. Mettaton had been locked in his office the entire day.

After heaving a silent sigh at your final attempt to gain entrance into his office, you had texted Undyne to come take you home. You sent a text to Mettaton telling him to message you the next chance he gets though. This Koppel thing needed to be talked about and soon. Lounging against the wall next to the receptionist as she talks about some random gossip that was going around the studio, you flipped idly through your phone messages as you waited. Bored. The distinct clicking of heels had you looking up to see Mettaton’s perfectly styled mop popping around the hallway frantically looking for something. Eventually, his eyes landed on you and he swept you into an endearing hug. “Songbird~ I’m glad that I was able to catch you before you left! What was it that you needed, Gorgeous?”

Your bright smile that had formed at seeming the robot idol was immediately erased. “Mettaton, about Koppe-”

“HEY, PUNK!” 

Both your heads shoot up as Undyne dived through the front doors with a rather tired looking Alphys in tow. You give her a tender wave before snapping your fingers to regain Mettaton’s attention. “Let me guess… Koppel has been bothering you, hasn’t he?” his voice was low and you could sense the anger radiating off of the robot.

“That’s an understatement. She was trying to get away from him this morning until I stepped in.” Undyne said when she and Alphys had made their way over to the two of you. Her sharp hearing surprising you a bit.

Mettaton’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “He was on the premises?”

“No… he was at my house.” You signed while not exactly looking the robot in the eyes.

“How long has this been going on?”

“Off and on for about a few weeks.” The dark look that took over Mettaton’s face had you moving to hide slightly behind Undyne even if it wasn’t directed at you, after you had signed it.

He was quiet for a long moment before he seemed to reach a decision. “From now on, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, one of the bunny guards, or myself will be escorting you to and from work. How are you getting home today?”

“T-that’s why we’re here…” Alphys spoke up making everyone in the nearby vicinity jump. Everyone had been so deep in the conversation that they had forgotten she was there too.

“That’s right! We’re takin’ your dork home today!” Undyne proudly stated pulling you into a rather strong hug from behind. “Speaking of, let’s get going! If I see that punk, then I get to punch his ugly mug!” The strong fish woman threw you over her shoulder while throwing Alphys over the other.

Undyne’s comment had a smirk forming on Mettaton’s lips. “Alright, I leave her in your hands. Don’t worry about that man, Songbird. This time he has crossed the line.” You could see the hint of darkness that was behind his glinting eyes. Mettaton had a lot of money and connections. Koppel may have finally pushed the robot idol to his limits. It appeared as though he was already planning something.You nod your head to him. Giving the robot a bright smile as Undyne dashed out the door, through the protesters, and pushed you into the backseat of the sedan.

“Let’s get movin!” Undyne pumped her fist in the air. Hitting the gas hard. The car sprung to life and lurched onto the street earning a terrified squeak from Alphys, who was sitting shotgun. You had expected her to turn towards your place but was surprised when she went the opposite direction.

You blink a few times before tapping Alphys on the shoulder to get her attention. “Uh… My house is the other way…?”

“O-oh. We aren’t going to your house.” Her stuttering voice came back to you.

“Then where are we going?” you signed to her in confusion.

“T-to our place-”

“WE’RE HAVIN’ A SLEEP OVER!” Undyne’s boisterous voice cutting off her girlfriend’s in excitement.

“That’s right!” Alphys turned in her seat so that she could talk to you better. “U-Undyne told me about that Koppel man. We both agreed t-that you probably shouldn’t be home alone tonight. J-Just in case he wanted to try anything. Also your m-monthly check up was in a f-few days anyway so might as well do it now.”

Well, this was certainly a change. One that you weren’t opposed to in the least. Giving Alphys and Undyne a broad smile of approval, you settled back into your seat. A break away from home and work sounded awesome. Not to mention, there was no way that Koppel would get past Alphys’s lab security. You could actually relax for a little bit. It wasn’t long until the familiar red letters that spelled LAB came into view. Undyne pulled into the parking garage and you were out the moment the vehicle came to a stop. “I’m gonna go set up the sleep over spot! Why don’t you two go do all that sciencey stuff now and get it out of the way?”

“Might as well. Lead the way Alphys.” You signed to the dinosaur monster who was standing next to you.

“S-sure thing!” Alphys waddled around the car and headed into the lab/home. She led you through familiar hallways to the room that held all of the equipment that she had used to work on your SOUL. It also held the machines that allowed her to do scans to see how your SOUL was doing. Even though this place appeared intimidating, you didn’t mind it. You hopped up onto the table that you had sat on several times before. There was a nice red cushion waiting for you so that the stainless steel examination table was more comfy. Hospitals would never have tried to make it more comfortable for you. Then again this place didn’t remind you of a hospital. It just felt like an extension of Alphys. Maybe that’s why you could put up with this place a hell of a lot better.

The small dinosaur monster went about activating the various machines. She, eventually, waddles over to you and gives you a timid smile. “Mind if I bring out your SOUL?” Whenever you had to come in for a check up, Alphys would always ask before bringing out your SOUL. That one question always made you feel more at ease because it showed how much she took you into consideration. You gave her a nod and you felt the familiar tugging until your purple SOUL was floating gently in front of you. It looked about the same since the last time you saw it. Maybe a bit dimmer due to the added stress you had been going through. She hit a button on the console next to the table. A glass tube came down and your SOUL easily filtered through the bottom part hovering dead center. “Alright. I’m starting the scan now.”

You smiled as she hit another button and the machines went to work. Your body shifted a bit so that you could get more comfortable on your seat. Alphys was watching the readings but also looking at you off and on like she wanted to say something. “What’s up, Alphys?” you asked having to reach around the glass tube to do so.

“It’s this… Koppel business. I know Mettaton has told you some things but he probably kept some of the more… severe issues with the man to himself so he wouldn’t scare you.” Her eyes went back to the monitor and remained there while she continued to speak. “That man… He will do anything to get to whatever goal he is trying to achieve. We just haven’t been able to peg any solid evidence on him to get him locked up.”

“Just how bad is this guy? Undyne mentioned something about it earlier today.” You had to hold back a shudder but the spike in your SOUL’s pulse showed the small bit of fear that made it’s way into your mind. Alphys hadn’t stuttered once in that sentence. She only never stutters when she’s serious.

“...Very, very bad.” The console makes a beeping sound as the scan finishes. She looks over the data before giving a happy nod. The serious atmosphere dissipating. “T-things are looking good! There hasn’t been much of a change but due to the circumstances the slight change makes s-sense. Okay! You’re a-all good to go!” The tube returns to it’s original position. Leaving your exposed SOUL to float right in front of you once again.

“HEY, GUYS! WHAT ANIME DO YOU WANT TO WAtch-” Undyne’s body bursts through the door behind Alphys but skids to a stop when she sees your exposed SOUL. Her cat-like eye looks it up and down. Both Alphys and yourself quiet. “HEY HEY! That’s looking a lot better since the first time I saw it!” Undyne straightens up from her slightly crouched to run position giving you a thumbs up. “You guys done?” When you both nod, she steps forward to push your SOUL back inside you with a gentleness that you weren’t sure she was capable of. “Well then, c’mon, NERDS! Let’s get this slumber party started!”

The strong fish woman whisks Alphys and yourself into the living room that now had a couple mattresses on the floor. Popcorn, ramune, and other japanese inspired treats littered the coffee table. You moved to settle yourself on one of the mattresses bringing the blanket up so you could become a burrito. The monster couple wandered over to the DVD library and started bickering which anime that they should start binge watching with you. Grabbing the nearest ramune bottle that had a red liquid in it and strawberries on the label, you took the top off so that you could pop the glass marble into place. Taking a long swig, you swallowed with a relaxed silent sigh. You had needed this more than you thought.


	44. Chapter 31

It’s dark in here. Darker than it should be. The couch, that you sat on, in your living room squeaked a bit as you slowly readjusted in your spot. Behind you, the blinds to the window were closed and the curtains drawn. The TV in front of you was off. No noise. No other sounds were being made. Just silence within your house.

Outside, you could hear the birds chirping, people laughing and just enjoying the sun. Whereas you were inside. In the dark. Alone. Too scared to even attempt to go outdoors. What was the point when you would probably be forced back inside anyway? You shuddered and hunkered down on the couch. Letting the softness relieve some of the tension in your back. What were you going to do?

Sure enough, Mettaton had been true to his word about dealing with Koppel. It was all over the news. Koppel lost his job and had to spend about a month in jail. He was out now and boy was he pissed. Everything seemed to increase tenfold with him. There would be pictures of you in the mail taken at various points throughout your day. Sometimes they were even plastered on your doorstep. You had a restraining order but there were never any prints on the photos and there was never a name. You couldn’t pin it on Koppel. There was no conclusive evidence to do so. However, the pictures were the least of your worries. It was the never ending phone calls that made you want to just hide forever.

Somehow, Koppel had gotten a hold of both your home phone number and your cell. Whether he hired someone to figure it out or he figured it out was irrelevant. He had it and he abused it. Using it to call from anonymous prepaid cell phones and public phones throughout the day. Almost every day. Until you couldn’t stand it anymore. You put your cell on silent and unplugged your phone line. There were also the occasional times you would see him walking by your house, outside your window, or driving by on the street. Gone before you had a chance to text him in or far enough away that it didn’t matter. This man was out for blood. It was only a matter of time before it got worse but there wasn’t much you could do other than holing yourself up every chance you get. Now that Koppel didn’t have a job, he was harassing you (and probably Mettaton) on a 24/7 basis. 

This needed to stop though. It was beginning to affect your work and personal life. At work, you were constantly looking over your shoulder. At home, you had locks on every window and door to your house. Paranoia quickly becoming your newest best friend. Instead of hanging out with everyone, you have been sticking to the hotel or coming straight home. Not wanting them to get in Koppel’s cross hairs as well. There was only so much you could do and damn it if you couldn’t protect the others from that awful man. 

A loud knocking on your front door had you physically cringing as a pit of dread formed in your stomach. Your thoughts giving over to the paranoid fear that had made its home in your mind. You refuse to move from your spot. Whoever it was could leave a message or just never come back. You didn’t care who it is. If it was one of your friends, they could text you about it. You would respond to their messages later. Anyone else could just go away. 

The knock returns, just a little bit longer than the previous one. Also a bit louder. You curl up into a ball and press your head into your knees. Go away. Please go away…It stops. You let out a sigh of relief before falling on your side so that you were now laying on the couch. Still curled up like a ball. Thank God. Yet, before you could fully relax, the knocking comes back full force and this time it’s not stopping. You clap your hands over your ears as it gets louder and louder. Whomever was on the other side of the door was just as determined to talk to you as you were not to.

Several minutes pass. With a pained silent whimper, you sat up heading towards the persistent sound. Their will was stronger. That and you didn’t really want your front door knocked off its hinges. You peer through the little peephole that you had installed. If it was someone you didn’t know, you were just going to head into your room until they go away. If it was someone you knew, then it was time to slap on a smile.

The familiar tall stature of a certain skeleton monster had a sigh of relief escaping your lips. Of course. It was Papyrus. Knowing him, he would wait outside your door until you answered. It didn’t matter how long you took. It could be days or weeks. He would wait. You hit the door lightly with the palm of your hand to signal to the skeleton monster that you were there. Somehow, he managed to hear it over his own loud knocking and stopped. You went about unlocking the 7 locks that you had installed on your front door. The sounds of metal sliding and clicking filling up the silence that was once all around you.

Taking a deep breath, you plaster a smile to your face. Swinging the front door open wide. Your fake one is met with Papyrus’s ecstatic one. “HUMAN!” He dashes in. Pulling you into one of his signature spinning hugs. Ones that always bring a genuine smile to your face and a bout of silent giggles. However, they were short lived. Your door was still wide open. Open to whomever wanted to peer in with a camera. Anxiety prickled up your spine. You needed to close that door. Now.

The moment your feet hit the floor, you were slamming it closed. Your hands moving deftly over the many locks that you had installed. Completely ignoring the shocked monster behind you. Feeling secure now that they were in place, you turned your attention to the younger skeleton brother only to freeze at the somberly serious expression that he had on his normally happy face. “Papyrus…?” your hands signed as your brows knit together in worry.

“Human… are you okay?” Papyrus’s soft indoor tone has your eyes going wide in surprise. “I came over because I have noticed that you have become much more… secluded in the past couple of months. It worries me. It’s almost like when Sans and I first met you. Now that I’m inside, I’ll have you know that I will not be leaving until you tell me why this has come about!” At that declaration, Papyrus sat crisscross applesauce on your hallway floor. Peering up at you with his eye sockets. They were full of worry and concern. Not for himself but for you. You just stood there staring at him. Attempting to keep a poker face for now but you weren’t sure what to say to him. Thoughts about all that has happened swarmed your mind and you were finding it difficult to keep your face neutral. “Oh no! Why are you crying?!”

You reach up and brush a hand across your cheeks to find that there were, indeed, tears making wet trails down your face. Why were you crying? You had wanted to keep a poker face up while he was here but it looks like your subconscious had betrayed you. The next thing you knew, you were being pulled into a gentle hug by the tall skeleton and it was like a dam broke. Everything that has been happening the past few months was just too much. All of your fears, emotions, and insecurities rearing their ugly heads. You wrapped your arms around Papyrus while silently sobbing into his shirt. It all came flooding out in your tears. With a gentleness that most wouldn’t think he could do, he picks you up and holds you. One arm holding you upright under your thighs while the other rubbed comforting circles on your back.

Without looking up from his shoulder, you turned your body and began to explain what has been going on. You should have just gave in and told your friends a long time ago. Why had you been so dead set in protecting them when all they wanted to do was help you? They probably could have aided you and all of this could have been avoided. A group is much more intimidating than a solitary person. Your hands signed fast. Telling him about Koppel’s brief imprisonment, his loss of a job, his harassment only getting progressively worse. So much so that you were getting to the point that you feared for your life. How you had tried to go to the cops but nothing could be conclusively linked back to the man. You didn’t know what his goal was anymore. At first, it had just been to sink Mettaton’s showbiz career. Now it looked as though his goals have taken a much darker turn.

To be honest, you weren’t sure if you were his true target or if Mettaton still was his primary goal. Regardless, you were collateral and it hurt knowing that Koppel was using you in an attempt to get at the robot monster. Something needed to be done but you didn’t know what more you could do. “Shhh… It is alright, (y/n). Everything will be okay. I understand that you were trying to protect us but Mettaton, Sans, Undyne, Alphys, and myself are all full grown monsters. We can handle ourselves.” You nodded against his shoulder. Making the wet spots that you had made with your tears spread. For the first time in ages, you felt safe and secure in your home. That alone made it feel like the world was being lifted off of your shoulders. Unfortunately, it was never meant to last.

The loud sound of glass shattering had you tensing up immediately. Your head whipping up in the direction to where the sound had come from. What the hell was that? This couldn’t be happening right now. Fear started to course through your veins as you started to mentally panic. You felt Papyrus hug you tighter for a moment before gently setting you on the ground. His boney arm ushering you behind his tall stature. You weren’t the only one to tense up. Papyrus had as well.

“What was that…?” you asked the tall skeleton who had gone eerily quiet.

He caught you signing out of the corner of his eye socket. “I do not know. Stay behind me.” His voice was just above a whisper and fear riled its head even more at that fact. Papyrus should never whisper. He should always be loud with a bright grin on his face. Not deadly serious with a below indoor voice. Crouching a bit, Papyrus led the way down the hall towards the music room. Where the shattering sound came from. You peer in behind him as he does the same. The sight you see making your blood run cold.

There was Koppel.

Koppel was in your house.

Glass was scattered across the floor from the window behind him. A brick laying not to far away.

Koppel had broken into your house.

Pushing you back a bit gently, Papyrus straightened up to his full height and rounded into the room. Both of his eyes flashing orange the same way Sans’s left eye would do before he used magic. This skeleton had a lot of patience. It looks like Koppel had reached the end of it. “HALT, HUMAN! DON’T TAKE ANOTHER STEP FURTHER!”

The man froze before whirling around on the monster brandishing a knife. What he had intended to do with that knife, you didn’t know. Was he going to hurt you with it? Threaten you? Torture you? Regardless, it was enough to have you frozen where you stood. Papyrus was having none of that. He rose his hand and an orange aura appeared around the weapon before it was yanked out of Koppel’s grasp to float in the air a little ways from Papyrus’s head. “THIS HAS GONE TO FAR! I DO NOT KNOW YOUR INTENT ON BREAKING AND ENTERING, BUT THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME THAT YOU BOTHER MY FRIEND!”

Koppel didn’t say a word. He just glared at the skeleton with such rage that you were afraid that it could actually hurt Papyrus with it. His eyes darted over to you. This wasn’t the look of a normal man. This was the look of a crazed man who no longer had anything to lose. Men that desperate were capable of doing truly horrible things. Your breathing was becoming shallower the more the scene before you spanned out. Eventually, his eyes darted back over to your friend and the two seemed to be sizing each other up. A fragile stalemate that could be broken at any moment. By who, it was anyone’s guess.

It was Koppel who decided to break it. He crouched before charging at the skeleton. No other weapon present but his bare hands. Those alone could do a lot of damage if he landed a hit with a true intent to hurt the monster. But Papyrus was faster. Blue bones sprung into existence. Launching themselves in complex patterns at the human male. This didn’t deter the man. He jumped, dodged, and even got nailed by a few. The ones that missed lodging deep into the wall behind. However, Koppel’s attempt to advance on the two of you had failed. He fell back to his original spot. Panting from the excursion. 

Papyrus straightened out of his defensive stance. His tall stature unmoving like a pillar made of stone. The knife still floating by his head glinting in the light filtering from the hole Koppel had made in the window. The man knelt and tried one more time to attack. Rage and desperation the only things you could imagine fueling him at this point. This time he ignores Papyrus and aims his sights on you. Your fight or flight response immediately kicks in as your heart picks up its pace with the adrenaline moving through your body. Whipping the can of bear mace out of your pocket, you spray it at him with trembling hands. Trying to aim for the face.

He lets out a agonizing cry as it hits his glasses. Some of it dripping behind them and getting into his eyes. A few well placed bones, sends Koppel flying into one of your shelves. He writhes on the floor clutching at his eyes and his side. Desperate to claw out the liquid that was causing him pain. Then he stood up. Without so much as a backwards glance, he climbs back out of the window from whence he came. Blindly bumping into furniture along the way. Leaving you two in peace.

For now.

The tall skeleton follows after Koppel until he gets to the window. Careful around the broken glass, Papyrus kneels to look out the window, leaving you in the hallway with the bear mace held out in front of you still. Your body was on alert. Your mind was in overdrive at what had just occurred. You had to mace Koppel to protect yourself. He had broken into your house and he had tried to attack you. Had he kept stalking you so much so that you would withdraw from your friends? What would have happened if Papyrus hadn’t decided to come over today?

You didn’t want to think about that. Once he was sure that Koppel wasn’t coming back for round two, Papyrus whirled around on you with a huge surprised grin on his face. “HUMAN! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! I’M SO PROU-… (y/n)?”

The can of bear mace slipped from your hands. Toppling to the floor with a series of loud clangs as it bounced. Your hands slowly moved up to your chest to where your heart was. It’s painful beats increasing by the second. You slid to the floor breathing heavily.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

Not now.

You were fine! Alphys and Sans had fixed this problem right?!

But it was happening. You were having an attack. All of the stress and fear over the past few months have finally caught up after being released from Koppel’s break in. It hurt. Oh God, it hurt. Did they always hurt this much? You could vaguely hear Papyrus saying something but you were so focused on the fact that you were having an attack and trying to calm your heart that you didn’t hear him. They had said that it was possible that you could have another one. It was just really unlikely. The odds were so slim compared to before. You had just hoped that it wasn’t the case.

You felt yourself being lifted and you settled your head against the skeleton’s chest as he took you from your house over to his. The loud slamming noise of Papyrus kicking his own front door open spurring you out of your haze to be a bit more alert to your surroundings. “BROTHER! I NEED YOUR HELP! RIGHT NOW!”

There was a flash of blue and you knew that Sans was probably standing right in front of Papyrus. Yet, from how tall the skeleton was you couldn’t see the shorter one. “(y/n)? Paps, tell me what’s going on.” Sans’s deep baritone voice had you relaxing somewhat as Papyrus headed over to their couch.

He gently laid down your trembling form onto the soft welcoming cushions. “I-I think she is having an attack! Please, Sans… I don’t know what to do…”

The soft tone was back in Papyrus’s voice and all you wanted to do was give him a smile. Telling him that you were fine but you were far from it. You felt arms wrapping around your shoulders. Pulling you up so that you could press your face into the soft fur of Sans’s hoodie. “Shh… it’s okay, bud. We got you. We won’t let anything bad happen.” The stout skeleton continued to say soothing encouraging words as your eyes closed so that you could better focus on them.

Seeing the trembling subside a small bit, you could hear Papyrus let out a sigh of relief. “Brother, I leave our friend in your hands. I need to go file a police report.” You felt Sans tense a bit at those words but you ignored it for now.

You were with Sans and Papyrus. You weren’t at your house, you were at theirs. You were safe. With the combination of Sans’s words and your thoughts, your heart eventually calmed down to a normal beating pace. Your chest aching from the aftermath. A deep heaviness was consuming your body but now wasn’t the time to sleep. With a silent pained grunt, you turned in Sans’s arms so that you could look at him. 

“There’s my fellow punster. You had me scared for a _beat_.” Sans gave you a playful wink that had you smiling weakly at him. His dropped as his tone turned more serious. “Mind telling me why you had an attack?”

“IT WAS KOPPEL.” You both turned your head to look at Papyrus who was in the front doorway. His usual energetic demeanor replaced with a more tired one. He moved to sit on the arm of the couch that Sans was leaning next to. “HE HAS BEEN STALKING OUR FRIEND DILIGENTLY FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS UNTIL HE BROKE IN AND ATTACKED US JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO. The police want your statement when you are feeling better.” Papyrus lowered his voice to a gentler tone when he addressed you and you just nodded your head tiredly. 

“I thought Mettaton dealt with that bastard already?” Your tired body jolted awake at Sans’s words. Mettaton. Was he okay? You dropped your hands into your pockets, frantically searching for your phone with the small amount of energy your body had left. “Whoa whoa. Where’s the fire?”

Not finding it on you, you looked up at the two skeleton with fear filled eyes. If Koppel had just broken into your house what could he have done to Mettaton? Your hands flew up. “Please. We need to call Mettaton.”

“Why? Look, ki-”

“Yes, Mettaton dealt with Koppel. It resulted in him losing his job and going to jail for a bit.” You cut your best friend off . “But he was released a while ago. If he just tried to attack me then what might have happened to Mettaton?” Tears were threatening to fall at this point because you were so scared for the robot idol. All it would take is for him to take a wrong turn down a street or help the wrong fan… There was so many ways that Koppel could hurt him.

Seeing where you were going with this, Papyrus stood up making his way over to their house phone. “I SHALL GIVE HIM A CALL RIGHT NOW.”

As his brother started to speak into the receiver, Sans turned to you. A brief flash of blue in his left eye. “Why didn’t you tell us about all of this going down? Is that why you’ve been avoiding everyone as of late?” You gave him a nod that had him groaning in exasperation.

“He was already harassing Mettaton and myself. I didn’t want him going after all of you too.” You were starting to feel tired again, now that the burst of energy from worrying about Mettaton had subsided.

“There was no way that he could have taken all of us on. Dammit!” Sans cursed loudly and you heard something break in the background. His magic reacting to his emotions. To say he was angry would be putting it mildly. The skeleton was pissed but you were to exhausted to really worry about it at the moment.

Papyrus steps back in with a bright smile on his skeletal face. “METTATON IS JUST FINE!” He announced with his normal loud voice. You returned it as best as you could. “BUT!… He’s coming over.” Crap. You were in no condition to talk for an extended period. You were already falling asleep in Sans’s arms as it was. 

“Paps. Mind if I let her catch some z’s in your bed before he arrives? She’s trying to stay awake but she probably need to close her eyes for a bit. Also those cops around? Don’t want them seeing her resisting a _rest_.” The shorter skeleton stated with the most calm voice that he had. Sending a wink to the younger skeleton.

“SANS, NO.” You felt yourself being lifted into the taller brother’s arms before he headed upstairs to his room. A small silent stream of giggles following your ascent. Papyrus opened his door and laid you down on his race car bed. “We’ll come wake you once, Mettaton is here. Sleep well, human!” You were out before he closed the door.

 

.


	45. Underfell 4

“Okay…now take the pliers and move the green one to that port...”

ZAP!

You silently screeched in surprise when you felt an electric jolt surge through your body. The pliers fell to the metal table with a loud clang as you leaned back on your legs to nurse your hand. “Was that supposed to happen?!” you signed to the robot, who you were currently straddling so that you could get a look at the damage to one of his arms better.

Crimson gave you a bashful smile while rubbing the back of his head. “Uh… no, sweetheart it wasn’t… Sorry about that.”

“It’s oka-” you began to sign when you noticed that your hair was standing on its end. Making it look like you had a rather nice afro. Quickly, you ran both hands through it to floof it back down to something more manageable.

“AHAHAHAHAha! Oh my Asgore, that was great!” the squeaky voice of Alphys popped up from behind the two of you. Once again wishing that you could growl, you turned to the monster in the cage and flipped her off. Again. She has been doing that since she had woken up in there. Other than demanding to be let out, she has been criticizing your repair job of Crimson every step of the way. However, the dinosaur monster didn’t look nearly as intimidating locked in a cage.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I don’t trust you to actually help me with him, I would offer to let you out if you told me how to properly fix this guy.” Your hands signed to the trapped woman who let out a huff at your words. Yes. This Alphys could understand sign language though she hadn’t been honest about it. You would have asked her for help if you hadn’t of heard the story that Crimson had told a little while ago. Now you were pretty sure if she helped…she would just be having you slowly shut the ghost robot down. It would be an excellent way to get payback for earlier. Ignoring Alphys as she began to start ranting about being locked in the cage again, you picked up the pliers off the table and leaned under the shoulder pad to the spot you had been working on.

Crimson angled back a bit so that you could see the circuitry in a better light. “Okay, I think you grabbed the wrong green wire. I know there is more than one in that spot, beautiful. Try the other one.” You patiently did as he asked and were rewarded when the wire fit perfectly in place. This arm port looked significantly better since you had started putting the robot back together. Crimson had actually managed to do the top arm with ease once he had you turn off the nerve endings in his body. But the one that you were currently working on was hard for him to see so he had asked you to help with it.

Needless to say…it was a slow going process. You knew nothing about monster technology or if it even was remotely like human tech. So whenever you had a question, you always asked. Since you didn’t know the names of the parts, you would either snap a picture with your phone (that had miraculously made it through the portal with you and still worked) or describe the part to the best of your ability. This was a very delicate process. You didn’t want to accidentally hurt him or make it so he couldn’t properly use his arm. Things continued on this way for a long stretch of time. Needing a moments break from being hunched over the robot, you straightened up while stretching. Blissful pops coming from your back as it relaxed. “I’m very sorry….” It was barely above a whisper but you somehow managed to hear Crimson speak.

You blinked and looked down to the alternate Mettaton, who was currently laying on the table so that you could reach certain spots better, with your body on top of him, confused. “Sorry about what?”

“For bringing you here. This place…You shouldn’t have ever been brought here…” Crimson wasn’t looking you in the eyes as he spoke. His head was tilted to the side with an expression that made it appear as though his mind was thousands of miles away. You snapped your fingers so that you could get his eyes on you then shook your head with a smile. Yeah, it kinda sucked that you were here but it wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter. You weren’t mad at him for it. Though where you were was a good question. Crimson’s eyes go wide at the refusal of his apology. “Bu-ut! Your life has been in danger the moment you came here! How could I not apologiz-”

“Then tell me where we are. That’s how you can make it up to me.” Your hands signed as you gave him a bright smile. “I get that we are in The Underground but…”

“This is Underfell, Darling. Well, that’s what Alphys has deemed our universe anyway. Were you not underground in your universe?” the robot asked, his interest clearly peeked.

Shaking your head, you moved so that you were sitting in a better position on Crimson’s lap. “Nope. We were on the surface in my universe. Okay! Break time over. Back to work!” You punched the air in a very Undyne-like fashion before leaning back over to the hole you had been working on.

Crimson is quiet for a long moment as you worked before his words cut through your concentration. “Why are you being so nice?”

Sitting back up, you gave him a nonchalant shrug. Why were you being nice? It wasn’t just because you had witnessed Alphys verbally and physically abuse him. Your eyes fell on his face and you couldn’t help the small endearing smile that formed on your lips. Never mind. You knew why. Settling back on Crimson’s lap you set the tools you were holding to the side. “Well… it’s kind of hard not to when you look so similar to my boyfriend.” You signed to him while appearing like you were in deep thought over his question.

“There’s a human in your universe that looks like me?” Crimson asks with surprise in his voice as his eyebrows shoot up. Was he trying to be coy with you? Well, it worked. You shook your head and kept looking at him with a big knowing smile on your face. This guy didn’t need another hint. You watched as Crimson’s eyebrows knit together in confusion as he processed what you had just told him. ‘C’mon~ you can figure it out~’ you sang in your mind while you sat. Patiently waiting for him to figure it out.

Suddenly, Crimson shoots up from his lying position. His two upper arms grasping your shoulders firmly. “I’M DATING A HUMAN?!”

You nodded your head as silent chuckles shook your body. There it was and the shocked expression on the robot’s face was entirely worth it. “Disgusting.” Alphys finally spoke up from a long bout of silence from her cage. 

Without even gracing her with a glance, you turned your body so that you could sign to her. “Says the dinosaur with a fish fetish.” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the yellow dinosaur monster turn a brilliant red as she screamed in frustration with her claws covering her face. Looks like your Alphys was actually in there deep down. However, this shuts her up like you had intended.

“What… what is the other me like…?” Crimson asks with his eyes full of what appeared to be hope and wonder. Completely ignoring your interaction with his body’s creator.

“Well…when you first meet him, he does kind of come off as self-centered with a humongous ego but that couldn’t be further from the truth.” Your eyes glaze over as you reminisce. “What comes off as being self-centered is actually his mountains of self-confidence. He loves to be on stage with a crowd cheering for him. He loves to make others happy and to see them smile. If you are lucky enough to be in his inner circle there is nothing that he wouldn’t do to make sure you are happy or safe… He always puts others needs before his own.” You hear Alphys snort at that but you ignore it and continue signing. “He is always positive and full of a vibrant energy that’s infectious to those around him. Mettaton is a hard worker. He always tries so hard to make sure everything turns out the way it’s supposed to…” You trailed off at the disbelieving look that Crimson was giving you. “Want me to prove it?”

“Just how are you going to prove it?” the red and black robot cocked an eyebrow at you but you already had your phone out going through some of the old videos you had. Bringing up one of Mettaton’s old concerts that you had recorded offstage, you handed the phone to Crimson and pressed play. The sound of music filling the quiet lab room. His eyes lit up as he watched his alternate self dance on stage in front of thousands of monsters and humans. “You weren’t kidding…”

“I bet it’s all out of pity. Why would anyone like something that he made?” Alphys was cackling at your loving description of your Mettaton. “Seriously! There couldn’t be anything further from the truth! I despised his egotistical ass the moment I met him.”

A sickly sweet grin morphs on your features as you hop off the examination table to address the monster in the cage. “That just means you can’t handle him.” You try to put as much sass into your facial expression as possible as you signed it.

This didn’t deter her cackling. “At least this, Mettaton won’t be alone forever.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Your expression grew sour. Why would your Mettaton be alone?

“You, honestly, think that this Mettaton was the only one to know about this experiment? I told them all!” Alphys leaned in close to the door of the cage. A wicked grin on her features. “They’ll be stopping here in a little bit to see the fruits of my experiment and when they do…” Your body froze. If Alphys… who was a sweet stutteringly adorable creature in your universe was a ruthless mad scientist in this world… what would the others be like? You looked back at Crimson but the expression on his face basically confirmed your suspicions.

“Hey, Al. How’d the initial test go…?” You whirled around from the monster in the cage to the source of the deep baritone voice. There in the entrance to the room was Sans. Well, a Sans. This one had sharp teeth with one of them appearing to be solid gold. Instead of a blue jacket, he wore a furred black leather jacket with black basketball shorts that had a yellow stripe and a deep red shirt. Those didn’t look to bad. It was the white pinpricks that were now red boring into you that had you rooted to the spot in fear. However, you attempted a really timid smile with a small wave to try and calm the situation. 

His red lights ignored you. Instead, they scanned the room and you realized just how bad this looked. The royal scientist had a bruise on her face. She was also locked in a cage with their Mettaton sprawled out on an examination table. Pieces of him spread out everywhere with various tools you had been using to put him together. God, it looked like you had captured one of them and was systematically dismantling the other. You raise your hands to try to explain what is going on, only to feel your SOUL ripped out from within. Sans’s left eye lit up in a brilliant display of cardinal red. The same color that was surrounding your SOUL. 

He raised his hand and you went up with it. Your eyes grew wide in fear as he threw you towards one of the walls. Your body flying in the direction that his boney hand gestured too. You snapped your eyes closed to brace for impact. This was going to hurt. A lot. Pending how hard you hit, you may even be knocked out. There was no guarantee they would let you wake up again if that happened. Suddenly, metal arms wrapped around your shoulders and waist. Stopping your speeding ascent into the wall with your face inches away from it. 

You crack open an eyelid to see why you had stopped. “That is quite enough of that Sans.” Your head whipped down to see Crimson standing right in front of the skeleton monster. Two of his arms were extended. Wrapped protectively around your body to catch you before you hit the wall. the other was sassily on his hip. His fourth one was still on the table. He was using his height to look as intimidating as possible. It was working. With you at least.

“What the fuck, Mettaton?! Why are you helping that human?” Sans’s eye was flaring in anger at being rudely interrupted.

With a surprising gentleness, Crimson lowered your body to the ground. Once your feet were on the tile floor of the lab, he nudged you so that you were standing a little behind the robot. “Because this isn’t what it looks like. Besides. Before you start bitching me out about how we need her SOUL well to bad. We can’t use it.” Crimson was staring the skeleton down. His gaze strong and unwavering.

This didn’t go unnoticed by anyone in the room. Sans’s eye sockets blinked a couple times in what appeared to be disbelief. It doesn’t last long though. He was quick to recover and his eye sockets narrow menacingly at the two of you. “So you are saying she is useless? Then why is she still here?” His left eye flares a brilliant red and hundreds of bones start to form in front of himself. Pointed in your direction. Ready to strike.

Your eyes grow wide. This was bad. The tension between the two monsters was so high that your presence, along with Alphys’s, had gone unnoticed. There had to be something that you could do to prove your usefulness…or at least break the tension in the room. It didn’t matter if Crimson used his metal body to protect you. It was just a matter of time before Sans got to you. There had to be something you could do…Wait. This was a Sans. An alternate version of your best friend. You almost did a face palm at how stupid you were being.

Not willing to risk this Sans not knowing sign language, you grab your phone off the table where Crimson had set it earlier so that he could catch you. Sans’s eyes diverting from the robot to see what you were doing. Without looking up, you unlocked the phone and brought up the text to voice app that you still had. Standing a little off to the side but still behind Crimson, you type out what you want to say then hold it out in front towards the skeleton monster. Hitting play in the process.

“Look out, Metta! It looks like he has a _bone_ to pick with us. I mean just look at them all! There has to be a _skeleton_ of them.” The monotonous electronic female voice cracked through your speaker.

The bones that Sans had started to send your way stop dead as the skeleton freezes at your puns. He is eyeing you incredulously and you take that as an opportunity to keep going. You bring your phone back to type out another before holding it out again. Pressing play.

“Not gonna _fibula_ Mettaton but I think that we may be _boned_.” the female voice stops to spell out Crimson’s name letter by letter because the name isn’t programmed in which makes it even better. You can see the serious deadly aura that Sans had been giving off crack when the bland female voice said _boned_.

He lost it. Mirth filled his eye sockets as the skeleton doubled over. Laughing so hard that he lost concentration and the bones disappeared. You would be laughing to if it wasn’t for the fact that you felt like you had dodged hundreds of boney bullets. Crimson was looking between you and Sans shocked along with Alphys from the cage. “Okay, doll. As much as I love hearing these come from an automated voice, why aren’t you talking?” The skeleton straightens up out of his laughing fit to fix his eye sockets on you again.

“She’s mute.” Crimson and Alphys say in unison, surprising the both of them.

“Aw…that’s no fun. I bet she would have some pretty good screams.” Sans was laughing again but you moved behind Crimson a bit more. Nope. Creepy Sans is creepy.

“BROTHER! WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?” Moments after the loud voice cut in over every other sound in the room, another skeleton made his way in. You couldn’t help but tear up a bit. 

There was no way.

There was just no way in hell.

That thing was Papyrus?!

The new skeleton was about the same height was your Papyrus but he wasn’t an adorable cinnamon roll like yours. This guy was terrifying. Like Sans, he had sharp teeth. His face was very angular and sharp looking. He still had the signature red scarf but it was longer, almost like a mini cape. Instead of white body armor, it was pitch black with yellow lettering on it. The shoulder pads extended past his skeletal frame and ended in points. You could feel the hate just oozing off of the skeleton. As your eyes followed the tall monster’s frame down to his legs you noticed a small human child holding a buttercup in a boot. Was that…Frisk?

Very scary Papyrus stopped dead when he saw you peering out from behind Crimson. He wasn’t the only one to notice your presence. The child did as well. “What is going on…?” They sign up to the tall skeleton who blatantly ignores them. Before you could even react, a wave of bones was sent flying in your direction. Your SOUL being yanked out in the process with the bones headed right for it.

“MOVE!”

Crimson’s yell breaks you out of your fear induced trance just in time, so that you could evade a few of the bones that he had not been able to hit out of the way with his arms and legs. Jumping back a bit to avoid another, you start signing to the child since no one else seemed to want to answer their question. “Alphys made a machine to go to other universes so that they could take a human SOUL from there to break the barrier because they don’t want to use yours.” The child’s eyes go wide as you continued to jump and dodge the onslaught Scary Paps keeps sending your way. Without really thinking of where you are going, you evade out of the way to far. You were out in the open with Crimson next to you.

Papyrus takes his chance.

The tall skeleton clears the room in a matter of seconds. Shoving the robot harshly out of the way, his tall figure loomed over yours. He summoned a large bone in his hand, raising it above his skull. Ready to strike you down. Tiny hands push you back a few steps as the child moves to protect you. Papyrus stopping the bone right before he hit the kid on accident. “Stop this! This isn’t right! You can’t just rip someone out of their own world and take their SOUL!” They stare down the tall skeleton with determination in their eyes.

Neither backing down for a long moment.

You feel Crimson’s arms around you as he moves to stand behind you. His facial features mirroring Frisk’s. Clearly outnumbered (Though by what he just displayed, he could kill all three of you rather easily.), Papyrus let’s out a heavy sigh before letting the bone dissipate in his hand. “Then what do you suggest we do then?”

“I… I don’t know. We can figure something out that doesn’t involve killing someone.” Frisk signs rapidly. You stand stock still. Just watching. Not wanting to draw attention to yourself.

“Well, until we figure something else out, we are keeping her here. We may just fall back to plan B.” The tall skeleton sent glaring eye sockets your way that had you leaning back on Crimson for moral support.

“There won’t be any need for that, Papyrus, Darling.” Crimson stated simply. Gently squeezing your shoulder reassuringly. “We will think of something else but in the meantime…She knows our alternate selves.” His attempt to divert the conversation worked.

Sans and Frisk both perk up at that. Even the buttercup. Which now that you got a good look at was Flowey and you couldn’t help taking a couple steps away from the flower. Looking away from him to the rest of the group you give them a small smile. “You can say that I _Mettaton_ of them.”

Behind you, Crimson groans along with scary Papyrus whereas Sans and Frisk smile even more. “Come on, then. You gotta tell us about them.” The small skeleton says with what appears to be a genuine grin on his face instead of the scary one from before.

“Let us take this to another room then.” Scary Paps states before walking out of the room with Sans following. Frisk turns to you and gives you a smile with a shrug then follows. By the words of a merciful child, you were spared. You let out a breath that you hadn’t realized that you had been holding and move to follow the others with Crimson on your heels.

“HEY! I’M STILL LOCKED IN A CAGE YOU ASSHOLES!”

You flip Alphys off one last time as you walked by her cage.


	46. Chapter 32

“I can’t believe that he had the nerve to even attempt something so low. I thought I was the only one that he was acting so aggressively towards. How did I not know about this? Why did you keep quiet about it? Oh, that man is going to pay! To think tha-”

Your eyes followed Mettaton as he paced in front of your, still very exhausted, form. Eyes bleary from only being awake about 15 minutes. You were currently sitting on Papyrus’s racecar bed. The skeleton’s blanket wrapped around your body so that the warmth wouldn’t escape. Not that it was cold, it’s just…who wants to rewarm a blanket? Pulling it tighter, you let out a long silent yawn that shook your whole frame. If it wasn’t for the fact that Mettaton was here ranting, you would have just fell onto your side and fell asleep again. But this needed to be addressed as soon as possible. The sooner Mettaton ranted, the sooner you could go back to sleep. That didn’t stop you from constantly yawning though. Your body was still trying to recuperate from earlier.

Still, you had a rather rude awakening. Roused from your very deep slumber when Mettaton had all but kicked down the skeleton brothers’ front door. Demanding what the hell happened as loud as his electronic voice box would allow. Which was VERY loud. In an attempt to give you a moment to collect yourself before being interrogated, Papyrus had gone up to wake you but with that kind of noise even the deepest sleeper would have been jolted awake. You bet that Sans wouldn’t have been able to sleep through it. So now here you were. Trying to stave off sleep with a royally pissed off robot about to go on the warpath. By the time that Mettaton had made his way up to the younger skeleton’s room, Sans had filled him in on what happened. To a point. There was still a lot of details that he didn’t know that only you could discuss. Not that you’ve really had a chance to sign anything so far. Mettaton was in hysterics about the attack and once he knew you were okay…cue 15 minutes of nonstop ranting. It’s a good thing that Mettaton didn’t actually need to breathe. Anyone else would have passed out from lack of oxygen by now.

You continue to watch him pace, patiently. Waiting for him to simmer down enough for him to give you a chance to explain things. The ghost robot continued for another good 20 minutes before he stopped dead center in the room and ran both his hands through his black locks, letting out a frustrated sigh. You gave him a few more seconds before snapping your fingers to get his attention. Though it wasn’t as loud as it normally was because you were tired. “You get it all out of your system?”

“For the most part, beautiful. Were you able to keep up with any of it?” His suave voice returned. Concern was written all over his face. He wasn’t blaming you. This much was obvious. He just needed a moment to vent. Who wouldn’t after hearing news like that?

“Some. I tried but I couldn’t help drifting in and out.” Your body swayed a bit as you signed to the robot. Aching for the sleep that you were denying it. 

Mettaton saw this and moved so that he was sitting next to you on the racecar bed. Your body automatically moving to lean against him. The feeling of cold metal on your cheek was soothing. “I’m sorry, Darling. To be honest, I’m surprised you are managing to stay awake. Do you want to talk about it later?”

You shook your head. Might as well get it all out now. “No. Sleep can wait. It’s not like I can stay away from it forever. I’m sure it’ll forgive me.”

“You talk about sleep like you two have been hanging around for a while. Should I be jealous?” a smirk made its way onto Mettaton’s face as he very gently nudged you with his elbow in a playful gesture.

So this was how he was gonna play, eh? Trying to look solemn, you looked up at him. “I hate to break it to you but…Sleep and I have been seeing each other for a long time. I just keep going back!” 

He snorted, much to your amusement. “Sleep sounds amazing if you can’t keep away. I’ll have to ask if sleep can share.” The sexy wink he sent your way had you falling into a silent giggle fit.

Your aching body protesting every giggle that left you. “Okay. Please. Time for serious talk. My body is hating me right now.” You signed to him with a tired grin on your features.

“Yes, yes. Of course, Gorgeous. So…do you need me to take you to Alphys?” Mettaton’s voice lowered at the last part. You blinked. You hadn’t really thought about that. Was your SOUL okay? Did it change? Or was it just because of all of the stress that built up coupled with Koppel attacking you? You still didn’t know what his intent was with that knife.

“Mettaton… Think you could show me my SOUL? I want to see if it is alright.” You asked him without looking the robot monster in the eye. Even though seeing Alphys would be great, you weren’t really ready for all the tests that she would probably want to do. They were physically and mentally draining. There was no doubt that Sans had already called her about it. He would also want to see if your SOUL was okay. Eh. He probably already checked since he could see without pulling it out. The fact that you weren’t in the hospital or at Alphys’s right now meant that you weren’t in a life threatening situation.

“I don’t think that is a very good idea, Songbird.” Mettaton frowned at you as he said it. “You are still very weak after that attack. I don’t want to put you at risk-” You waved him off. Using one hand, you gestured to your heart then pointed back at him. Continuing until you saw him shaking his head as his will crumbled. It crumbled a little too easily. He was probably just as worried and curious about it as you were. “Okay, okay! You win.” Mimicking Undyne, you thrust a victorious fist in the air. The both of you moving so that you were now sitting on the bed facing each other. Your legs curled up underneath you. Mettaton let out another sigh. “Well, good thing is that Sans is right downstairs in case something happens.” He stated as he rose his hand and you felt the familiar pulling sensation on your chest. Only… it was a lot gentler than any of the previous times that it has happened. As if, the magic Mettaton was using was too scared to hurt your SOUL. The robot pulled his hand back and you SOUL popped out as it followed.

Its pulsing purple aura filled the space between the two of you. Hovering in front of your chest, it was pulsing at a normal pace. Much like the last time that you saw it. You leaned in for a better view. Eyes squinting in focus. The aura was normal. Color the same as last time. Maybe a tiny bit paler but not by much. Tiny hairline cracks still littered the surface of your SOUL but it didn’t look like any of them have gotten bigger or that more had formed. After everything, it appeared as though your SOUL was fine. Looking up from your SOUL, your eyes met Mettaton’s. His telling you that he must have reached the same conclusion. “Well. Looks about the same to me. I think I can safely put off the testing until later.” You signed to him as he pushed your SOUL back within. A silent sigh releasing from your lips once you feel whole again.

“I would like to think so as well but you shouldn’t be alone anymore. Ever.” Mettaton stood. Resuming his pacing from earlier. “Koppel has gotten more aggressive but I never thought he would go so far as to break in. More than likely he went to you because your house isn’t as heavily guarded as mine…” You shuddered at that. If that was his reason in breaking in then what was his intent with the knife? “I need to make some calls. Do you think Sans and Papyrus would mind if you stayed the night here?” His face was grave when he turned to you.

“No can do, bud.” Sans’s deep baritone cut in as the stout skeleton made his way into his brother’s room with Papyrus on his heels. “You two have been in here a while and we thought we would check on ya.”

Still, you were surprised at the refusal. This was a first. “Why not?” You ask, genuinely confused.

“I AM GOING TO BE DOING SOME LATE NIGHT TRAINING WITH UNDYNE.” The tall skeleton proclaimed proudly. Then adding in a lower voice. “I would invite you along but after what happened I wouldn’t want you hurt. Our training sessions can be a bit…intense.” You nodded your head in understanding. You have witnessed a few of those “training” sessions. Intense was the biggest understatement Papyrus has ever spoken.

“I’m headed over to Tori’s tonight. Asgore and Toriel have to go do some government stuff so I’m babysitting Frisk tonight at their house. But…” Sans gives you a sly grin. “Why don’t you come along? I bet Frisk would love to see ya.”

“I’ll be stopping by later as well.” Mettaton added on. “Once things are…dealt with.”

You decided to ignore the ominous look on Mettaton’s face, instead mulling the invitation over. A sleep over at Toriel’s with Mettaton, Sans and Frisk. That sounds amazing. You nod your head eagerly with a bright smile on your face. “Yes, let’s do that! Though…I’m going to need a nap first…” Your head drooped a bit and you shook it to try to wake yourself up a bit more.

“Then it’s settled.” Sans tossed a bag onto your lap and you gave him a questioning look. “Paps grabbed some of your things when he went to go deal with the police earlier. Neither of us wanted you going back over there by yourself.” Curious, you scrounge through the bag. A brush, your phone (quickly pocketing it), deodorant, your toothbrush, some pajamas, a couple spare sets of clothes, and your song notebooks. Basic stuff. Nothing weird, oddly enough.

Mettaton stood up holding his hand out to you and you eyed it for a moment. Setting the bag on the bed, you reach out and take it. Stumbling forward on shaky tired legs, you latch onto the robot in order to steady yourself. “IT LOOKS LIKE SHE MAY NEED SOME HELP.” Papyrus detached you from Mettaton so that you were now being held aloft. Your head level with the robot’s at this height.

“Are we teleporting? Or…?” You signed the question to none of the monsters in particular. They all saw it and you knew one of them would have the answer.

“No.” The robot monster said firmly. “My limo is right outside. You all can take it. It’s not like they live very far away. Just send it back here when you are done.” He ends in a smile.

“I SHALL CARRY THE HUMAN AND HER THINGS!” Papyrus snatched up your bag on his bed before dashing out of the house at a high speed that only he could manage to achieve. Not before you heard Mettaton begin talking like he was on the phone, only he wasn’t holding one. You watched him with squinting eyes. Did he have an internal phone installed in his robot body? Was that how he texted? You continued to ponder this as Papyrus gently set you inside the back end of the limo, setting your bag by your feet. There is a flash of blue and you look over to find Sans sitting next to you. “HAVE FUN WITH THE TINY HUMAN!” Papyrus gave you a hug before closing the door to the limo. The engine started with the vehicle pulling away towards the goat monster household.

Groggily, you blinked. Staring at the high white ceiling that was above you. What? Where..? When had you gotten out of the limo? This wasn’t your house. This wasn’t the skeleton brothers’ house. So whose bed were you currently laying in? Had Sans carried you here? You sat up to get a good look of the foreign bedroom you were currently in. Toys littered the floor. Child-like drawings of Toriel, Asgore, Frisk, Sans, Papyrus, Mettaton, Undyne, and Alphys covered the walls. There were even a couple of you and Mettaton. A buttercup sat in a flowerpot on the windowsill. Oddly, facing away from you. You blinked again as the sleepy fog in your mind began to clear. You had been on your way to Toriel’s house in the limo. The drive must have lulled you to sleep. So was this Frisk’s room?

Moving out of the small bed, you stood up stretching. The setting sun casting the room in various reds, oranges, and yellows. It was morning when you had left. You must have slept the whole day away. Oh well, might as well go make yourself known. You made the bed and left the room. The hallway was dark. Your skin goose bumping on instinct. Eyes whipping around looking for anything amiss. You hugged yourself tightly, following the hallway until you reached a staircase. Below there were lights, lots of giggling, and what smelled like popcorn. It held such a welcoming warmth that you couldn’t help but be drawn to it. Curious, you carefully headed down the stairs only to be tackled into a hug the moment you hit the landing. A small child with brown hair and a striped shirt. There was only one kid that you knew with that style combination. Wrapping your arms awkwardly around them, you gave Frisk a bright grin. Their tiny body was practically buzzing with excitement. 

“I’m so glad that you’re awake! We were about to make s’mores in the fireplace.” Frisk signed to you when they pulled away. They took your hand before you could respond and led you into the living room. Where you were greeted by more than just a stout skeleton. All of the furniture had been moved so that 4 children, 2 human and 2 monster, could set up their sleeping bags in a circular pattern on the floor. They were talking amongst themselves, high-pitched giggles eliciting from them sometimes. Sans sat on the loveseat not too far away. His eye sockets were closed but you could tell by his posture that he was watching the kids closely. Even if he did just look asleep. This was more than just babysitting Frisk. This was a slumber party.

Frisk clapped their hands getting everyone’s attention. Including Sans. “Everyone, this is, (y/n). She works with Mettaton!”

“Whoa! That’s so cool! My name is Elise!” A small girl with blonde curled locks rose her hand as she spoke. Her eyes bright at the mention of Mettaton. You gave her a smile and a small wave. She then pointed to the boy with short curly hair next to her. “This is my twin brother, Ethan!” The boy gave you a small nod in greeting before going back to the card game he was playing with MK who sat across from him.

The armless monster quickly stood up and dashed over you. Gently head-butting you in the stomach as a form of greeting. “It’s awesome to see you again! I didn’t know that Frisk invited you over!” Mk was practically beaming at you. You didn’t have the heart to tell him that you kind of invited yourself along. Looking up from the dinosaur monster, you looked at the small bunny monster who was curled up in her sleeping bag already. “Oh! That’s Cinnamon! You probably know her 5 older brothers who work as security at the studio!”

Cinnamon. She was a Cinnamon Bunny. Whose older brothers were Hippity, Bippity, Hoppity, Boppity, and Hop. It took all of your willpower to keep a straight face. It was so adorable and you loved the pun. You gave her a small wave as well before Frisk drags you away into the kitchen with Sans lazily following behind. “Looks like you have a good turn out! Are we gathering stuff for s’mores?” You signed to them with a smile. Your body was starting to fully wake up and food sounded amazing right now.

“Yes, but I also need your help with something.” Frisk asked after checking to make sure none of the other kids followed. 

Sans moved over to the fridge, rummaging through it. “Whatcha need help with?”

“Everyone says that you are supposed to prank your friends at a slumber party but I don’t know what I should do.” Frisk was frowning as they signed it. You were looking at Sans who had a deep contemplative look on his face.

“That is a troubling issue indeed.” Sans stated as the fridge door closed and he leaned against it while scratching his chin. “How about we spook ‘em with a ghost story?”

“I don’t think that alone will work.” The child rebutted. “It would take more than that to truly get them.”

Spooky stories…Now that was an idea. “Has Mettaton come over yet?” You signed as an idea popped into your head. A creepy smile making its way onto your features while you included yourself in the conversation.

“Nah. He’ll be here later though.” Sans was looking at you with a gleam in his eye. He seemed to be following your train of thought. “Why don’t we ask Napstablook if he’ll stop by as well?”

You flash him a big grin. “That would be perfect.” Frisk just looked between the two of you with confused eyes. Not getting the wonderful idea that the two of you were planning out for them. You kneel down to Frisk’s level. “Basically, we are going to tell a ghost story and when the suspense gets to a point… We’re going to have Mettaton and Napstablook scare the crap out of your friends.”

The child’s eyes light up as Sans moves to kneel next to you in your small huddle. “Alright, kid. Here’s what you gotta do...” He leaned in, whispering something to Frisk. Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out your phone and began to text Mettaton your plans. There was no way that he would pass up a chance to “ _act_ ” in front of an “ _impressionable_ ” audience.

All of the children sat on their sleeping bags. Some were starting to nod off. The sun had set long ago and darkness filled the sky. The fire Sans had made in the fire place now just a bunch of embers. You sat next to the skeleton on the loveseat, idly texting on your phone. It was almost time for the children to go to bed and Frisk had already got the others attention. It was time to put your prank plan into action.

Mettaton and Napstablook had arrived a little while ago. The robot idol had picked up his cousin the moment you had explained your plan to him. He seemed just as excited about pranking the kids as you were. The two ghost monsters were already in position. Mettaton was right outside in the hallway while Napstablook floated in a corner of the living room. Currently invisible. Sneaking them in without arousing suspicion from the other kids had been an ordeal but it was going to be well worth it. Mettaton had even taken some time to dress up the part. Your phone went off and you smirked. 

**Mettaton 9:30pm**   
**You must be a good thief because you have stolen my heart from across the room.**

You looked up from it to the hallway and stuck your tongue at Mettaton. He would say that. It was a good one though. You had to fight off the pink dusting your cheeks. Frisk clapped their hands again to regain everyone’s attention. “Before we continue on with the slumber party, I feel that it is right that I warn you about something.” Their hands began to sign earning worried glances from the other children. Sans lounged with both eye sockets closed but you could feel the magic he was giving off. Ready for his cue. “If you go off on your own, like to the bathroom, always bring a light with you. Not because you don’t know my house but because something bad may happen to you if you don’t.”

“What? But we ran around all day and nothing bad happened. We even played hide and seek.” Elise’s eyes narrowed as she spoke. Clearly not believing Frisk at all.

“About that…” The Monster Ambassador offered her an apologetic smile. Their face looking the full part of someone concerned for their friends and having to give them bad news. This kid knew how to act. “You see…things lurk in the shadows here. During the day, they hide away from the light in the darkest recesses of the house, like the basement, but at night they roam freely in these darkened halls.”

Frisk did a good job. Their pacing was flawless and building the suspense perfectly. All of the children’s faces were beginning to lose their strong façade. Cinnamon was even glancing at certain corners of the room as though she was seeing something out of the corner of her eye. “What…what are the things?” Ethan asked. His bright young eyes wide.

“Well, there are two specifically. One is all black. Tall. Menacing. If you see him, try and turn on a light as soon as you can! If he gets a hold of you…” Frisk’s hands were shaking and the child had such a well-placed frightened look that it was easily putting the other kids on edge. Sans and your presence completely forgotten. “Just…don’t let him catch you. Then there is a smaller one. Completely opposite. This one has a pale demeanor. It’s body almost completely transparent. You’ll know he’s nearby because you’ll hear a small insistent wailing… the closer he gets… the louder it becomes…”

“What do we do about that one?!” MK’s scratchy voice was a few octaves higher than it normally was and you had to fight to keep your expression neutral.

The human child’s expression was now grim as they signed. “Make sure you get to somewhere with light as soon as possible. But we should be fine right now.”

All of the children let out a sigh of relief, you couldn’t help sending a smirk at Sans whose grin seemed to be even bigger than it normally was. His eye sockets still shut. They were fine. For now. The lights in the living room and kitchen were both on but not for much longer. The children went about getting ready for bed. Their bodies relaxing from the tense atmosphere from before the more time progressed. Once they all appeared to no longer be thinking about what Frisk had warned them about, you nudged Sans as if you were trying to rouse him. 

Terrified screams tore through the house as the lights all suddenly went out. The only light coming from the smoldering embers of the fireplace. All of the children huddled together by it. Including Frisk.

“The lights went out!” Elise’s voice squeaked.

Cinnamon clung to MK’s back. “What do we do?!”

“We are going to die!” Ethan wailed.

MK attempting to be the rational one, “Did anyone bring flashlights?”

“NO!” Everyone chorused at once.

“Someone try the light switch!” MK kept a level head but his voice was starting to betray him.

Upon hearing their friends’ high-pitched frantic voices, Frisk took it upon themselves to take on the dangerous task. Dashing over to the switch that was in the hallway. They reached up, conveniently missing the one for the living room and hitting the one for the room directly across the hallway. The light flicked on, revealing a tall, dark figure standing directly behind the small child. You watched as all the blood drained from the children’s faces. Their trembling stopping now that the children were frozen in fear. Frisk gave them a questioning look. Purposely not looking behind them. 

Ethan slowly lifted a hand and pointed at the dark figure. His pointing motion growing more insistent the longer Frisk gave him a confused look. Finally getting the hint, the monster ambassador looked behind them. Quick as a flash, the tall figure grabbed the small child’s legs as they fell backwards, dragging them down the hallway.

Frisk did one more thing before disappearing into the darkness. They screamed. It wasn’t just a playful scream. Sheer terror filled the sound and even though you knew Frisk was fine you couldn’t help feeling scared for them in that moment.

Mettaton had to be giving this kid acting lessons.

The other children shrieked along with Frisk’s scream. Too scared to move from the only source of light in the room. On cue, you could hear the soft voice of Napstablook start up from the corner of the room. His form slowly becoming visible to the children who were now screaming bloody murder. The ghost monster began to float closely to the kids until he was just a foot away. MK stood daringly in front of the other children. As though, he was going to protect them. You could still see his small legs shaking under his small form.

Napstablook, leaned in. His soft voice barely above a whisper but not a single person missed it. “Would you…” the children tried to back away from him but the fence around the fireplace prevented them from moving further back. They didn’t know what the ghost wanted but they didn’t want to know the request it had. However, Napstablook continued. Leaning in even more, so that his face was inches from theirs. “Would you….”

“Smooch a ghost?”

All of the children deadpanned. Their brains fried from the fear but promptly confused by the ghost’s odd request. Napstablook didn’t move and the children began to look at each other. It was obvious he wasn’t leaving until he got an answer. Cinnamon took the lead by leaning around MK so that she could get a good look. “Y-yes…?” her small voice trembling as she said it.

“FANTASTIC ANSWER!” Suddenly all of the lights burst back on and Frisk sat on Mettaton’s shoulder. A huge grin on both of their faces. The shocked faces of the human’s friends changed rapidly from, disbelief, shock, anger, and relief.

It was Sans’s laughter that broke them out of their stupor with Frisk, Mettaton, and yourself joining the skeleton. “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Elise practically shrieked, still clutching her twin like a life line.

Frisk just shrugged before Mettaton placed them on the floor so that they could join the others. It wasn’t long until they all were laughing together. “You got us good…We actually thought you were a goner.” MK nudged Frisk who hugged him back.

“That was some seriously fabulous acting. That scream was a wonderful touch.” Mettaton stated, clearly pleased, leaning against the doorframe wiping off the makeup he had put on his face. You were nodding your head along with Sans in agreement. That final scream had caught you all off guard. The robot moved to sit on the loveseat with you. Picking you up so that you were in his lap. That way he would have room. “But it is rather late. Why don’t you all get in bed and I’ll sing you a lullaby?”

All of the fear that the children had previously was gone. Replaced with awe and giddiness at the robot idol in their presence. The fact that he was sitting with you in his lap lost to all but Frisk who was waggling their eyebrows suggestively at you. “I agree. Bedtime, kiddies.” Sans stated before snapping his fingers and all of the children were suddenly floating with blue auras around them. He guided them all to their designated sleeping bag, using his magic to tuck them all in. Not one protested. Actually, almost all of them were begging him to lift them again.

You settled your body against Mettaton. Moving your head so that it could rest right above where a heart should be. Sans turned off the lights again with his magic and Mettaton began to sing the children a lullaby. Soothing any nerves that the kids had. Lulling them into a nice blissful sleep. You looked up at him once he was done. The final note’s vibration fading from his chest. “Are you sure you aren’t a truck driver, Metta? Because you gave those kids quite a _freight!_ ” Your hands signed as you gave him a shit-eating grin. Sans would probably have laughed but he was already asleep.

“Oh Asgore! Songbird, nooooo!” Mettaton whispered to you in exasperation. “You ruined such a touching and beautiful moment!”

Silently laughing, you nuzzled into the crook of his neck letting out a contented sigh. “Worth it.”


	47. Underfell Special 5

Taking very careful steps, you balanced yourself on a small cropping of sorta tall rocks. Both hands held out for balance with one being held by Crimson to help steady you. The heat, from the lava of Hotland, even more sweltering than ever. Even though, you knew that it never changed. At least, it hadn’t changed for the past week or so. Being Underground made it hard to keep track of time. How did the monsters put up with this for so long?

The entire time you’ve been down here, Crimson hasn’t left your side. It didn’t take long to figure out why. All of the monsters in this universe were filled with anger and hate for humans. Most bloodthirsty to get a human SOUL. They left Frisk alone for the most part but you did notice that Frisk seemed to always have a guard. Even if, they weren’t always seen. You had been attacked a couple of times but Crimson had always been there to end it…somewhat peacefully. 

There was one time where Papyrus and Sans had to step in. That…You held back the shiver that wanted to travel up your spine. That was something that you wished you could forget but they kept their word. You weren’t harmed and your SOUL wasn’t harvested. For now. That was the main reason you were still here after all. Alphys wouldn’t let you near that weird machine. If they couldn’t think of another way, your SOUL was going to be used to break the barrier. Whether you were willing to do it or not.

Still, you were here. So might as well make the most of it. The first thing you did was sit in on one of Crimson’s shows. The show, itself, was absolutely amazing. Everything was perfect. Lighting, music, acting. You name it, Crimson had it perfected. If he had been on the surface, he would have been a surefire hit. Which made the aftermath of the show all the more surprising.

Crimson hadn’t been lying when he said that the monsters hated his show. Throughout the airing, monsters had been yelling death threats. When the show was over, several had made their way backstage just to tell the robot that they wished he was dead. Not including the mountains of hate mail that filled one of the rooms. You didn’t even want to imagine what was being said on the Undernet, the Underground’s version of the internet. Though you noticed how none of them tried to directly attack the robot monster. With the entire monster race against him, it was no wonder Crimson’s state of mind was the way it was. Most people would have broken down and given in a long time ago. Yet, the robot was still trying. He desperately wanted to be a star. He just didn’t have the right audience… An audience that respected him.

Your foot slips and you begin to tumble down into Crimson’s four awaiting arms. “Careful, Sweetheart! I told you that wasn’t a good idea.” You looked up into Crimson’s worried eyes with your slightly bored ones. Sticking your tongue playfully at him for good measure.

“Sorry, Crims. Just lost in thought.” Your hands signed fluidly. The robot’s arms holding you aloft with minimal effort. You had accidentally slipped in calling him Crimson instead of just in your head. The robot had taken a liking to the pet name and from then on your life has been insanely easier.

“A SOUL for your thoughts?” you pushed his face away that had gotten closer to yours when he asked that. His slightly deeper chuckles reverberating from his chest plate. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, Darling, but what is on the adorable human’s mind, hm?”

You let the teasing slide for now. This was the most animated that you have seen Crimson since you met him. “Well…I was just wondering why you put up with all that hate. You don’t deserve it and I know that those monsters are only doing it because they think that they can boss you around.” The robot let out a contemplative hum as you continued to sign. “I mean…believe it or not, they do respect you to some degree. None of them will actually outright directly attack you like they have me. The only times they backed off is if you were nearby. You are a powerful monster Crimson. So why do you put up with all of their hate? You could easily change their opinion to a much more respectable nature if you wanted.”

“Mm… to be honest, I never really thought of it like that.” He stated with another thoughtful hum. “I always thought it was because I was basically Alphys’s slave. If they messed with me then they would have to deal with her and Undyne.”

“That’s another thing we need to discuss.” Your brows furrowed at the mention of Alphys. She…has begrudgingly gotten a little better. At least she wasn’t trying to murder your face anymore. You have seen her open up a bit when you started discussing anime like you would with your Alphys. “She shouldn’t have that kind of sway over you like that. I mean…You easily stood up to her. What happened when you did?”

Crimson’s eyes narrowed when you brought up the initial fight that had happened not long after your arrival into Underfell. When he had knocked Alphys out, she had earned a new found respect for him. She was actually nice to him. No physical abuse. Not once. There was still the verbal abuse but you learned that seemed to run in every monster down here. “She backed off. She took out the self-destruct sequence in my body and even put me back together. I’m still shocked by that…Why is that?”

You clapped your hands happily. “That’s because you not only stood up for me but yourself. You knocking her out basically said that you were done with all of that. Not saying you should knock out every monster you come across, you should just use enough verbal and physical warning to stand up for yourself. Prove to them that you aren’t someone that they can push around.”

“Oh Asgore… it’s the fucking robot.” Both of you looked over to the Pyrope who was eyeing the both of you in disgust. Its flames licking around its head in a threatening manner. “Oh. And the worthless human too. Why don’t you just let her die already? I mean we can’t use her SOUL then why is she here? On that note, why are you still even here? Weren’t you supposed to self-destruct when you hit that viewer milestone?”

It was taking all of your willpower to not go up and slap that fire monster. Mainly because it was mostly flames. Flames hurt. Man, this universe made you feel more aggressive. Crimson set you on your feet before quietly turning to the monster. “That is quite enough.” His eyes were narrowed and you could feel the threatening aura that he was giving off. You had been on the receiving end of that once and you were determined to not be on it again.

The Pyrope took a step back in surprise but stood their ground. “Enough of what? The world doesn’t need weaklings like you.”

“Weakling…?” Crimson’s face warped into a sadistic smirk that you remember way to well. He advanced on the fire monster when a familiar sound had you turning behind you to see Sans pop into existence in a flash of red magic.

“Hey there, doll. I’ve come to get ya…” the stout skeleton was cut off by the shocked cry of the Pyrope.

You whipped your head around back to the two monsters. Crimson stood over the flaming rope. His red heel digging into the part of rope that was the fire monster’s chest. Its flames significantly dimmer than before. In an attempt to get Crimson off, Pyrope flared up. Trying to use the heat to get the robot off of him. “Darling, I’m made of metal. That’s not going to work.” He reached down with one of his four arms, holding the now terrified monster high off the ground. “If you keep going the way you are now…Your wick may go out…forever.” Crimson’s voice was low. Intimidating. Threatening. Everything that most monsters didn’t associate him with being. You saw the Pyrope audibly gulp. Shrinking away from the robot’s face. Satisfied, Crimson let go and the monster hit the ground hard. “As I said. Enough. If I catch you talking bad about the new human or myself in such a manner… you won’t be so lucky next time, Darling.”

Pyrope nodded earnestly before scrambling to get away from the menacing robot as fast as they could. “Man, Mettaton. You’re on _fire_ today!” Sans wolf-whistled from beside you, gaining the robot monster’s attention.

“I would say so. Careful, Sans. He may be too _hot_ to handle now.” Even though you still weren’t 100% sure about this Sans… Punning with him was a habit. Your hands already signing it before you even realized who you were punning with. The gold toothed skeleton snorted at your pun while Crimson just rolled his eyes at the two of you. “So…where are we going now?” You hadn’t forgotten what Sans had started to say before you witnessed Crimson sticking up for himself and you.

“Oh, yeah. We gotta head back to the lab.” Then his expression becomes grave. “A decision has been reached.” He takes your hand, then Crimson’s. A flurry of red magic enveloping your vision along with the feeling of falling. It was over in a couple of seconds. The three of you now standing in a room in Alphys’s lab. However, it wasn’t empty. Papyrus, Undyne, Frisk, and Alphys were already there waiting for you.

Crimson puts two reassuring hands on your shoulders. The air in the room tense now that you were all here. Everyone was silent. Just looking at each other for a long time until your hands came up to break it. “So…what’s the verdict…?”

Everyone looked at each other before looking at you. “We have been keeping a close eye on you, human. Every interaction that you have had with us and others.” Papyrus stated. His voice full of authority. You leaned forward without really thinking about it. “After discussing everything with everyone we have decided…” The tall skeleton paused and it seemed like ages. “We will not use your SOUL to break the barrier.” If you could have let out a loud whoop of delight, you would have. You felt Crimson relax a bit behind you but barely noticed it. “However, you are to remain here until we get a bad human who’s SOUL we can use.”

That took the wind out of your sails. A solemn expression overtook your excited one. Even though you had been with monsters whom you all loved, you were beginning to get homesick. This world was much more violent than yours. You had been hiding it rather well but all of the hate, violence, and destruction was beginning to wear you down. Whenever you went outside, there was a new pile of dust and it was eating at you on the inside. If they weren’t going to use you, then why couldn’t you just go home? Not that meeting the alternate versions of your friends hadn’t been fun, it was just…you missed YOUR friends. “That’s a kind offer…but why can’t I go home..?” you thought it would be an innocent question. You had a right to know after all.

Papyrus’s expression darkened significantly and everyone nearby took a step back. “Do you not like it here human? Is this world not good enough to the weak one you came from?” He took a threatening step forward and you mirrored it backwards walking right into Crimson. “We thought that not using your SOUL would be a sufficient reward but it appears that you need to be taught some manners. After all, we are your hosts in this world.” The tall skeleton rose his hand to strike you only to be stopped by one of Crimson’s four arms.

The robot extended his limb and caught the hit before it could even come close to you. “That is not what she meant and you know it. She has been in this world with no way of communicating with anyone on her end. Of course, she would be homesick.” Crimson’s voice was strong and level. His eyes staring down the tall skeleton in front of you. The air got even tenser.

Crimson gently moved you so that you were out of the way and everyone else other than Papyrus moved to do the same. “Release my hand, you pathetic excuse for a monster.” Papyrus’s voice was dripping with venom but Crimson wasn’t fazed in the least.

“Only when you back off. You have no right to hit her.”

Magic began to crackle in the air in response to the monsters’ emotions. A standoff between them. It was Papyrus who broke it by snatching his hand back and jumping away. Sending a flurry of bones at Crimson. With the elegance of years of practice, the robot dodged every bone that came his way. Not getting a single scratch. His heels clicked once he regained his footing. Taking his chance, Crimson launched several mini versions of his square self at the tall skeleton. Their small hearts going straight towards their target.

Papyrus summons a large bone using it to deflect the hearts and bash any of the little robots that get to close. Their bodies evaporating from the magic that created them. The tall skeleton bent his knees before charging right for Crimson. Bone raised high.

But Crimson was faster.

Extending two of his arms, the robot monster catches the large bone. He shifts his weight. Throwing Papyrus off balance. As the skeleton struggles to regain his footing, Crimson sends out a sweeping kick towards the skeleton’s legs. Papyrus jumps at the last second only to be sent into the far wall by Crimson’s two other arms. He hits it hard with a loud thud that you couldn’t help cringing at.

The skeleton isn’t down for long. He takes the smallest moment to regain himself and go at Crimson again. Eye sockets narrowed with a wary stance. Now realizing that he had an actual opponent to deal with. More bones were launched at Crimson who flitted away with ease. This stalemate continued for a good while. Papyrus sending waves of bones in complex patterns and Crimson who evaded almost too easily, only to dance ever closer to his opponent. Closing the gap between the two slowly but surely.

Everyone watched the battle in awed silence. You had only been in Underfell a little over a week and even you knew that Papyrus was the best of the best. He was strong, calculating. The skeleton was head of the royal guard for a reason. What was surprising was that not only was Crimson holding his ground but he was actually gaining on Papyrus.

In two well placed strides, the robot closed the gap and nailed Papyrus in the skull with a high kick. Sending the tall skeleton sprawling out into the hallway. Before he could get up, Crimson dashed over to the downed Captain. Placing a heeled boot where his neck would be. Trapping the vertebra in the gap of his heel. Papyrus glowered at Crimson but took the hint, not moving. The bone that he had been using dissipated. “I will only say this once. That human is off limits. Understand?” Papyrus nodded his head. He knew when he was defeated. Only when he was sure that Papyrus wouldn’t come at him again, Crimson backed off and moved over to your side. Placing a protective hand on your shoulder as he did. “I thought we were past this but I guess the old rules still apply. This human is mine for as long as she is here. If anyone touches her…they’ll have to answer to me.” You couldn’t help but flush at that bold statement.

“Actually, Darling. Songbird is _mine_.”

You look up just in time to see a neon pink heel nail Crimson right in the face sending him into the wall behind you. Mettaton landed perfectly from drop kicking his alternate self and was checking you over the first chance he could. His face in yours. “Oh, beautiful! You are okay! Have any of these…animals hurt you?” Soon you were enveloped by more than just Mettaton’s arms. Skeleton ones, fish ones, furry ones…? You look around to see that not only your Mettaton was here.

Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Toriel, and Asgore were as well. Each gave you a hug before assuming a protective position in a circle around you. Their statures intimidating. Most sending glares at the alternate versions of themselves. Wait. The alternate selves were still here. Along with yours. How…? How did they not switch out? You blinked several times. The realization not lost just on you.

“What the?! How are you all here without us switching?” Evil Alphys squeaked, shocked by the sudden appearance of all the other alternates.

Your Sans just gave her a nonchalant shrug. His left eye flaring a brilliant blue. “Well, we did have _Alkynes_ of trouble with the machine at first but we buckled down and _Lepton_ it when we had the chance. You did the hard work for us by getting it set up.” The stout skeleton turns to say something to you but you had already moved out from the protective circle. Kneeling down next to Crimson with an apologetic look on your face.

“Sorry about that…Mettaton was just… _overreacting_.” You played off of your Sans’s science puns with ease. After signing the apology, you grab one of his four arms and help him up. Well attempt to. There was no way you could actually lift this robot. Drag, yes. Lift, no. 

Crimson stood with one of his arms rubbing where Mettaton had got him. “No worries…I deserved at LEAST that for earlier.”

“Are we missing something…?” Mettaton’s perplexed voice cuts in and you whirl around on him with a glare that had him freezing in place.

“Even though that was badass as hell…YOU” Making sure to point directly at your Mettabae when you signed it. “Of all people should know that you should treat _yourself_ nicely.” Gesturing to Crimson at the last part. Your face meaning nothing but business.

Both Sans’s snorted. Looking at you with respect only a fellow pun lover could give. “Did you just..?”

“Yes, I did.”

The two small skeletons lost it with their brothers’ groaning in unison. “We should have taken her SOUL when we had the chance!” You couldn’t help but silently chuckle at the scene before you. It was almost like you were back home. Almost.

A small head popped out from behind Toriel and you could only assume that it was Frisk. They give you a small wave before walking over to their alternate self. Both of them raise their hands and begin signing away. Like they were long lost friends who hadn’t talked in years. Soon your Frisk cocks their head at the alternate questioningly. In response, the alternate nods their head. Their SOUL being pulled out into view. However, theirs wasn’t the only one to pop out. Your Frisk’s was pulled out along with yours. Two vibrant reds mixed with a hint of purple. They nod to each other before turning to you and holding out their hands like they were welcoming you into their private chat.

Curious, you leave Crimson and Mettaton’s side to walk over to the children. You stand in the center, taking both of their hands in yours. They move you so that the three of you were facing the Underfell group. The two Frisk’s signing in unison.

“Let’s go break the barrier.”


	48. Halloween Special 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween weekend! To celebrate, I'm posting a 3 chapter Halloween special! The finale being on Halloween. I hope you all enjoy! :D

It had finally happened. You knew that it was just a matter of time but today was finally the day. Alphys…got you in a Japanese school uniform. It was Halloween. You hadn’t been planning on dressing up but Alphys had insisted that you and Mettaton had to dress up as a couple. The moment you walked into the lab, the dinosaur monster had whisked you away to get you ready. So here you were. Standing in front of a full length mirror looking at her handiwork. 

She had put your hair in a skullcap so that you now had on a long brown wig. The headpiece reaching just past your shoulders. You wore a white blouse with cuffed long sleeves. A red scarf tied under the collar to drape across your chest. To complete the look, you had a matching red pleated skirt and brown shoes with knee high red stockings. The only thing you had refused to wear were the red contacts.

No one touches your eyes. No one.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad look. It did suit you. However, you weren’t completely comfortable being dressed up like a middle schooler. Yet, of all the animes that you have watched with Alphys and Undyne…you didn’t recognize this style of uniform. So you couldn’t place where it came from and what exactly Mettaton was going to be. Not really thinking about it, you twirled. The skirt rising perfectly but not high enough for anything to show. Perfect. Alphys knew you to well. Speaking of the small monster… “(y-y/n)? Can I come in? I want to see how you look! Just knock on the door once for yes and two for no.”

You looked from the mirror to the door. Highly debating on taking the ensemble off before just knocking twice but Alphys had made this outfit herself. She did deserve to see what it looked like on you once. Even if you weren’t planning on wearing it out of this guest room turned changing room. You heaved a silent sigh. Alphys was already winning the argument and she wasn’t even in the room yet. Heading over to the door, you knocked once before unlocking it. Stepping back, so that the yellow dinosaur monster could come in.

Alphys was squeeing before the door fully closed. She was running around you, lifting your arms, fixing your hair, while making lots of fangirling noises the entire time. “O-oh my! I-it fits y-you perfectly! Y-you look just like her! Let’s go show it to the others!” the yellow dinosaur monster grabbed your hand and began pulling you towards the door until you dig your heels into the carpet to grind her to a halt. Confused, she turned to you to see you shaking your head fervently. “What’s wrong? Oh! Of course! How could I forget?” Digging through her pockets, Alphys pulls out a red rose and hands it to you.

Now it was your turn to be confused. Still, you stuffed it into your blouse’s breast pocket with the handkerchief that was already in it. “I don’t want to go out there dressed like this.” You signed to her one handed then gesturing to the outfit.

“But you look so cute!” Alphys puffed her cheeks in disappointment. A look you knew, that if you kept staring at, you would give in too. So, instead, you opted to take in what Alphys had dressed up as. She wore a long white wig with bangs that covered her eyes. Long white gloves were on her hands that reached to her elbows that matched the white poofy sleeves of the long blue dress she wore.

“Are you dressed as Sapphire?” you asked while cocking your head to see if her hand had a gem on the glove. Yep. It did. Alphys had the outfit down to a _science_. You had to hold back a smirk at your own mental pun. Maybe this could distract her away from your costume.

“Y-yes! You and Mettaton aren’t the only couple dressing as a pair. Undyne is dressed as Ruby!” Alphys didn’t even give you a chance to respond to how adorable that was. The amount of red body paint that would take to cover up Undyne’s blue skin….However you weren’t given time to dwell on it. The scientist throws open the door and drags you out of the room where a few other party goers are. Even though there weren’t that many people here, your face heated up in an embarrassed blush anyway.

A blue rose was thrust into your line of sight. “There you are, Songbird~! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come back out!” The person in front of you offering the rose was Mettaton but in a getup that you never thought he would be in. His normal black locks were now a light purple with some deep dark purple stringy ones on top. Instead of his signature neon pink boots, he wore black ones under a pair of dark tan pants. A dark green tank top was neatly tucked into the pants with a brown belt holding them up. Over top of it all was a tattered long overcoat. The rips in it more tasteful for fashion sense than from too much use. “Oh, look at you, Darling! You look positively adorable! Though I’m not exactly surprised on Alphys’s costume choice.”

You took the blue rose that he was offering you and let him steal your other hand so that he could playfully twirl you, like you had in the guest room. Alphys was squeeing even more now but you were even more confused. You had never seen this couple before. Just what couple were you supposed to be, exactly? Once you posed dramatically after the final twirl, much to Mettaton’s amusement, you turned to the yellow monster. “Soooo…who are we exactly…?” you signed to her with Mettaton nodding his head in agreement. Only to nearly jump out of your skin when she screeched in shock.

“You’ve never played IB?!” The small monster grabbed your hand, and one of Mettaton’s, dragging you into the living room. You both are pushed onto the couch while she commandeers the TV away from the horror movie a couple other party goers were watching. Their cries of complaint totally ignored. She hands you a keyboard that is plugged into the laptop that she had set on the coffee table. A long HDMI cord connecting the laptop to the TV so that the desktop appeared on the screen. “Ohmygosh! You are going to love it! It’saboutalittlegirlinanartgallery-” Alphys started going into the game’s details as she loaded up the game on the laptop.

“Uh…Alphys…Darling?” Mettaton’s voice had a wary tone to it and you were looking at him in confusion.

However, the scientist completely ignored him. Instead getting more excited as she went into further detail about the game. Talking so quickly that you long since lost what she was saying. You shrug and look at the screen, making a new game before going through the rather short intro sequence. Quickly realizing that Alphys had dressed you up as the little girl. Ib. Then who was Mettaton dressed up as?

Alphys stopped in her excited rambling long enough for her to instruct you on how to play. You made Ib wander around the art gallery. Inspecting everything because almost everything had something to say. Though…after a bit you didn’t know how to progress. You made poor Ib lap the gallery countless times. Each one making Alphys more agitated 

“No no! Go look at the huge painting!” Her voice still high pitched from all of the fangirling. You did as instructed. Cuing some new dialog with the music fading into nothing and the art gallery now mysteriously empty. Even though the graphics weren’t state of the art, your interest was piqued. You had never played a game like this before. After some exploration with a couple of minor scares you end up at the huge painting again with new blue ink scrawled under it.

“come down below ib. i’ll show you someplace secret.”

You rose your hands after reading what the game had said. “I don’t think I want to know that secret.”

“I don’t think you do either.” Mettaton stated but his face told otherwise. He was just as enraptured with the game as you. 

Though your progress was slow and it was getting on the nerves of a certain yellow dinosaur. “Come on! Yes, you do! Go back downstairs!!” Ignoring the odd feeling of magic starting to drift in the air, you chuckled at your friend before doing as she says.

“The gate around the scary fish is gone.” You signed one handed with the other on the keyboard.

Alphys was practically vibrating in her seat. “Yes! Go in.”

“No.”

“Yes!”

“No.”

“YES!”

“I don’t want to deal with Undyne’s creepy cousin!” You signed dramatically. Mettaton snorted at that while Alphys screamed out in frustration. Yellow magic sparks flying off of the monster scientist. Your eyes widened. You have never seen Alphys this riled up before. It was adorable as hell.

“YES, YOU DO!” She reached down to your hand on the keyboard to make you move the poor character into the painting on the floor. Mettaton’s amusement turned straight into alarm, reaching his hand out to stop Alphys’s.

“ALPHYS DON’T TOUCH-” He was cut off in a brilliant flash of white that enveloped the three of you, when all three of your hands touched the keyboard as Alphys made you move the character into…water? You had heard a splash. You felt a distinct falling feeling through a thick goop. Like you were the one falling through the painting instead of the character. Still. All you could see was white. Closing your eyes, you waited until the falling feeling stopped to open them again.

You blinked. This wasn’t Alphys’s living room. You were currently laying at the landing of some blue stairs but the stairs weren’t the only thing blue. The entire room was. What the hell? Where were you? And what was Mettaton about to say? Standing up you groggily stepped into the hallway, trying to get your bearings. It was just a long blue hallway with two paintings on the wall. One was red and the other was blue. Not to mention they looked really weird. 

This was just plain odd but you didn’t really have time to dwell on it. The emptiness of this place was creepy. You needed to get out of here or at least find out where you were. Walking down the side with the red painting, you came upon a new work of art and a diary. It had a feather pen whilst resting on a stand next to a blue door. Ignoring the painting and the diary, you tried the door first.

Locked. Figures. What now? You turned to the diary on the stand and began to flip through it when a familiar voice came screeching out of it at you.

“O-oh my god! (Y/N)! I-I’m so sorry!!!” Alphys’s voice was filled with worry and she seemed afraid. You were about to ask how she was talking to you through a diary then stopped. She couldn’t see what you were going to sign. How were you going to communicate? “D-don’t worry! You are safe! I-I promise! But I bet you are wondering where you are…well you are in the game that you were playing.”

WHAT?! You moved to take a couple steps away from the diary. “WAIT, COME BACK!” the yellow dinosaur wailed. Without thinking about it, you did as she asked. Uh…how did she see you move…? Maybe she could see you sign after all! “Listen. I hate to say this but… you are stuck in there until you beat the game. I-I can see what you are doing but its all pixelated… so if you try to sign something I won’t be able to see it. Don’t worry though! I know this game by heart and I’ll guide you through it to the best ending. The first thing you need to do is go get the key from the room on the opposite hallway!”

Okay, that didn’t sound to difficult. There shouldn’t be anything scary about that. Right? Feeling slightly relieved knowing where you were and that you had someone with you, you headed down the hall into the room on the opposite end. Noticing along the way that the stairs that you had woken up on were now gone. You continued only for the door to be blocked by a stand that held a single red rose and a vase. Glancing at your breast pocket, you noticed that the rose that Alphys had given you was gone. Your handkerchief was still there though. If this was part of your outfit, then that rose had to be important. You took the rose and pushed the stand out of the way before opening the door.

Inside, the entire room was blue just like the hallway. A large portrait painting of a woman with gray hair was hung on the opposite end. Some of the strands escaping the confines of the frame. On the floor was a blue key. No doubt for the other door. This…seemed way to easy. Stepping around it for now, you read the inscription under the woman. “When the rose ???s, so too will you ??? away.” You scrunched your eyes to try and make sure you read that right. But a couple of the words were impossible to make out. It sounded ominous.If this wasn’t a warnign then you didn’t know what else it would be. You needed to get out of this game and fast. Turning around, you picked up the blue key.

“THIEF! THIEEEF!”

You whirled around on the painting of the woman who was whispering at you. Her eyes were now wide open with a sinister look on her face. Nope. Noooopppppppe. You dashed out the door with your heart hammering in your chest. The blue walls of the hallway stained red with the word THIEF written all over it. Okay. You had the key. But now you have a rather pissed off painting and you weren’t sure what was about to happen. You needed to get back to the diary and talk to Alphys. NOW. 

Dashing back towards the diary, you skidded to a halt just as the word THIEF was carved into the floor right in front of your feet. NOPE! You jumped over it and continued to the diary, opening its pages to hear Alphys elated words. “G-good job! You got the rose and the key. Now progress into the other room. STAY AWAY FROM THE WALLS!”

That was something you could do. Though why didn’t she tell you what was coming? It would make your life so much easier! Also you wouldn’t possibly die or get scared out of your mind! Not to mention that she still had to explain how you went from playing the game on her couch to actually being a participant in it. Taking the blue key that you had casually stolen from the painting, you used it and opened the door. Prepping yourself to get away from the walls as soon as possible.

You weren’t sure if this was going to be fun anymore…


	49. Halloween Special 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My camera is at my brothers so I couldn't take a picture of the image.
> 
> I don't have a scanner. :(

Talking ants. Dress mannequins coming to life. Shadow hands bursting out of the walls. Moving heads. Guillotines. Cats and most of all… Puzzles. Papyrus would have been proud. Somehow you had managed to not get hurt by anything. Your overly cautious nature proving to be a boon in this world. No thanks to Alphys who kept most of the jump scare hints to the barest of minimum. Yes, it is a spoiler to tell you these things but it’s not a matter of having fun anymore. This could possibly be a matter of life and death. You hadn’t gotten hurt because of that reason. If you died in the game…would you die in real life?

 

Shuddering at the thought, you open the door and head into a large red room. Several works of art tastefully placed about. There are two large statues of what look like melting women. One was red while the other was blue. In the center on the opposite wall was a red door. Which you found was locked. Just like every other door in this place so far. Why were they locked? It’s not like there was anyone here to steal anything…Other than that key in the very beginning apparently.

 

Thinking of, there was probably a red key around here somewhere. You let out a slightly tired sigh. More looking around. You examined all of the works of art until you came upon one that you knew from the very beginning of the game. The lady in red. Seeing the portrait in game, you think that she looked like an older version of Ib. Still. It was the last thing to examine and it was a red door. The key had to be there.

You walked up and looked around the painting. Even going so far as reading the name plate. Nothing. Not even a sound of something unlocking somewhere. Maybe you missed something in a previous room? As you headed back down the short alcove you came, the painting let out a fearsome growl. Lunging right off the wall from which she hung. You looked at her with eyes wide. She was only an upper half and it was out of the painting. Just like the first painting you saw, only that one had some hair sticking out. This one had her whole upper half and she was crawling towards you at quite a determined pace.

Quick on your feet, you dodge around the rope gate that was pardoning off one of the melting women statues. The red woman refusing to crawl through it. Instead opting to crawl around it. That only slowed her down for a moment though. Your mind was swimming from thinking and fear. So she had been important. You did change something by investigating her but where was the key? Dodging around her, you dash back into her alcove to find a small key almost blending into the red colored floor.

The woman had it the entire time. She must have dropped it when she lunged after you. Her painted lips let out another feral growl and you looked behind you to see her turn into the alcove. Gaining speed now that nothing was in her way. You snatched up the key and moved so that you she couldn’t trap you in the tiny area. You hadn’t been hurt yet and you didn’t want to find out. Taking the long route, you forced her to follow you around the pardoned off area making a clear path straight to the red door.

You thrust open the door and slam it shut behind you. Bracing your back against it so that painted woman couldn’t knock it down. Her feral growls grew in frustration. The woman’s fists banging on the opposite end of the door as she desperately tried to knock it down to get to you.

Your eyes snapped closed as you willed the woman to go away. Practically begging her in your mind. The impacts of her fists so powerful that it was pushing you forward a small bit. However, you don’t budge. Keeping the door braced until she finally lets up. The sound of her picture frame dragging on the floor fading the further away she goes. You slump to the floor panting for breath. That had been the worst thing in this world so far. Everything else had just been glimpses or things jumping out at you. Not things that were actively pursuing you!

Taking a few moments to calm your nerves, along with your heart, you take in the new room you were in. It was entirely red like the one before it. Two rows of small bookshelves paved the small path to the door on the other side. No windows or other entrances. Just the door on the opposite side and the one you were sitting in front of. You were safe. For the moment.

Once the adrenaline had dissipated a bit, you stood up and started browsing the shelves. With the way this game was, there was probably information here that could help out later. You continued until you got to the back half of the room. Nothing really popping out at you except one book. It was, literally, popping out of the bookshelf. You walked over to it and pushed it back where it should be. An unlocking sound coming from the door you hadn’t gone through, immediately after. 

Well then. Maybe things were looking up for you now. After taking a few more moments, you headed out into the new hallway to be greeted by a large blue painting of a vase, the same vase on a stand, and a diary on the other side. Oh goody. Maybe Alphys will actually tell you something useful… like when a painting was going to jump off the wall and try to kill you. Flipping the diary’s pages, the small monster’s voice starts to emanate from it.

“I-I’m so sorry! I-I should have warned you about that…” Yes. Yes you should have. Oh if only everything she saw wasn’t pixelated. You would have reamed her out by now. “But you are doing very well! When I played, that p-painting woman actually k-killed me a few times before I managed to g-get the key from her.”

You glared at the book. Compliments weren’t going to get her anywhere. You were about to leave when she starts speaking up again. “O-oh! Before you head on… that vase next to you. It’ll never run out of water. Use it as much as you like!”

What…? Why would you care about a vase that never ran out of water? Okay, if that was a real, tangible thing, that would be pretty cool. You could have your entire water supply of your house hooked up to it and never have to pay a water bill. That. Would be cool. You waved to the diary as you headed onward. Opting to go to the right instead of left. In the new room, it was rather empty. There were a couple of paintings on the wall…

And a man lying on the floor. 

You run over to him and kneel down. He looked like what Mettaton had been dressed as earlier. So…he had to be somewhat important…right? You gently nudged him and he groaned. The man not really being able to move but with the way his body jolted it looked like he was in some serious pain. One of his hands was balled around something. You gently coaxed it open only for a key to fall out. Well… you had one piece of the new puzzle. Yet, what were you going to do with him? You didn’t want to just leave the poor guy where he was. 

Standing back up, you looked around. Maybe… Maybe this key led to somewhere with medical supplies? It was a bit of a stretch but still entirely possible. You headed back the way you came, following the room with the blue vase to the opposite end. Opening the door into yet another red room.

On the floor, small blue petals dotted the surface leading to a small pool of what looked like blood. A door led into another room. This one actually had a window. The blue petals trailed to the inside of that small room. You looked at the key and then back at the door. This had to be what it went to. You just weren’t sure if you really wanted to know what was in there…

Steeling yourself, you unlocked the door and headed inside. The room only held two things. A stool and another painting woman. Only this one was blue and she had something that she was tearing apart, piece by piece, in her hands.

A blue rose.

You glanced at your red one then back at the blue one. Was the blue one that man’s in the other room? Was the rose being torn apart causing him pain? You looked at your happily fine one and back to the one being pulled apart. If that was the case… you needed to get that flower away from her. Wonderful.

It was time to use your expert juking skills. You step into the blue woman’s line of sight and she is crawling after you at an aggressive speed with a wretched snarl. Dropping the poor flower in the process. You run back to your side of the room and waited. You needed her to get more onto your side before you could run over and grab the rose. It didn’t help that this room was small. This was going to be close. At the first moment, you ran by her with her hand barely missing your ankle. She whirls around much faster than you thought she could with just her arms and a giant picture frame holding her down. The adrenaline kicking in once again, you snap up the blue rose and move to head back the way you came. Only for the woman to grab a hold of your ankle and digging in with her nails. Hard. You let out a silent pained cry. Kicking at her until your leg broke free from her iron grip. You ran out of the room and slammed the door closed, once again bracing yourself against it to prevent her from escaping

The painting woman had other plans.

Glass cascaded across the floor as the painting burst through the window with her bare hands. Red paint dotting the scratches. She came at you and you were booking it out of the room with the blue petals. Thrusting open the door and closing it before she could follow you through. The blue woman let out an anguished cry at losing the rose. Banging on the door that refused to give.

You stood there clutching both your rose and the blue one to your chest. Your lungs gratefully taking in oxygen from that sudden burst of energy. Soon the banging stopped and silence fell upon the haunted art gallery. At this point, you were assuming it was haunted. You had no idea what was going on in this world that would bring artwork to life. Since you were stuck… you were bound to find out soon enough.

Wanting to get as far away from the murderous paintings as possible, you slumped next to the stand with the pretty blue vase. Purposely ignoring the diary. Alphys should have warned you about that but she hadn’t. Now it was your turn to give her the silent treatment. Instead you looked at the roses in your hand. The blue one was in a rather sorry state. It barely had any petals on it at all. The red one wasn’t looking to hot either. A few of the petals had fallen off and you could only assume it had happened when the blue woman had grabbed your ankle, which was now bleeding a little bit. So the roses signified your health. Not only that, if the roses were damaged, you were hurt as well. Then how do you bring them back to full health? This was a game after all.

Standing back up you looked at the vase that Alphys had said never ran out of water. You glanced at the roses and decided to put yours in first. If it was a trap, your rose had more health. You could take the hit. The blue one looked as though it was on it’s last leg. You dropped the red rose into the vase. The moment the stem hit the bottom, the entire flower lit up in a bright light. New petals growing until it looked like it had before you were hurt. Not only that but your ankle didn’t hurt anymore. You angled your foot so that you could get a good look and sure enough the small wound had been healed.

These vases were going to be your new best friends. You placed the blue one into the vase after taking yours back out. A similar reaction happening until a beautifully full bloom blue rose sat in the container. You picked it up and headed back to the man. Hopefully, he was okay…You walked up to him, just in time to see him start to sit up.

“What’s this? The pain’s gone….eh?” said a voice that you were almost crying in relief to hear. The Halloween costumed Mettaton looked up and jumped back away from you with a surprised yelp. “What is it now? T-There’s nothing left for you to take, I tell you!” There was a pause while the two of you stared each other down. Your suspicion of you looking like the painting women confirmed. “Wait… Songbird?” You ran forward and pulled the robot monster into a hug. Burying your face into the deep green tank top he wore. “Oh thank Asgore, you are alright!” He hugged you back warmly. “When I awoke in this place and didn’t find you here… That gave me a scare I would rather not like to relive.”

“Mettaton…What exactly is going on?” You signed to him when you finally pulled out of the embrace. You were truly grateful that you weren’t alone but at the same time you weren’t happy that he was here.

“Alphys.” the robot stated simply with a little hint of annoyance to his tone. “Her magic is a unique kind. It isn’t support nor is it like an attack. She can use it with gadgets and electricity. Basically putting herself into a program in order to learn the ins and outs. It also apparently allows her to put herself inside games. Or others. In this case.”

You cocked an eyebrow at him. “You make it sound as though this isn’t your first time experiencing this.”

“It isn’t. Sometimes when a monster gets extremely emotional, we give off a type of…magic discharge. I have no doubt that you saw the sparks flying off of her and the air feeling a bit heavier before she accidentally pulled us into the game.” Mettaton took the blue rose back as he talked. You nodded your head. You did remember that happening before the white light took over.

“Then how do we get back out?” your hands signed to him. Your curiosity about the entire situation rearing its head a bit. Despite the fact that you were in a horror game.

“Simple, gorgeous. We just need to make an access point so that she can use her magic to pull us back out. However…” The brief smile he had turned into a frown. “The easiest way to do that is at the start of a program or at the very end.”

“So you are saying…”

“We’ll have to beat the game. Now you are probably worried about what happened just a moment ago. Well, our bodies weren’t put in the game. Just our consciousness. Our bodies are asleep on the couch more than likely.” Mettaton toyed with the purple locks of his hair a bit as he spoke. “If we ‘die’ so to speak, nothing bad will happen to us. We’ll just go back to a preset point. But we won’t be able to leave until we get to the end.” You let out a silent sigh of relief. Your biggest worry about your current situation now put to rest. “By the way… Has Alphys been able to contact you in anyway?”

You nodded your head and led the robot back into the other room with the vase and diary. Lifting some of it’s pages, Alphys’s voiced popped up. “M-Mettaton! I-I’m glad that you’re okay! I-”

“Alphys.” Mettaton’s voice was entirely calm. No hint of emotion in it.

“Y-yes?”

“Are you and Undyne trying to kill Songbird?!” He practically growled out making you look up at him in surprise.

“N-no! Why you think that?!” The small yellow dinosaur’s voice trembled and you felt a bit sorry for her.

“Because this isn’t the first time you have put her in a compromising situation! First, Undyne dared her to spend the night in an actually HAUNTED pizzeria. Then you-”

“S-slow d-down, Mettaton! I-I can’t read t-that fast!”

“Read..?” you signed to Mettaton confused.

“Oh.. that’s right… Sweetheart, this game is primarily text based. The character I’m portraying is programmed to speak in a text box. Meaning what you are hearing is what Alphys and anyone else out there is reading.” He gave you an apologetic smile before turning to glare at the ceiling. “Whereas, hers can’t even speak at all!”

“I can’t spea-” you began to sign when the robot held up a hand to cut you off.

“No no! Even if you can’t actually speak, if you signed something and your character is programmed to talk or in a text box, a prompt will display on the screen. But apparently your character doesn’t have that ability.”

Okay, that made sense. You both acted within the confines of the character you were portraying. You gestured for him to continue with his rant and the robot went back to glaring at the ceiling. Which you now assumed is the viewpoint of how Alphys could see you two right now. “Back to what I was saying… First. Undyne. Haunted Pizzeria. Then, you have that machine that you and Sans had given up working on YEARS ago and she’s whisked away into a murderous version of our universe. Now…” He pauses to pace this small hallway only to stop by the diary stand next to you. “You accidentally pull her consciousness into a horror game. That is THREE times, now. THREE! Dammit, Alphys!”

Huh. That was true. This is the third time that something weird like this has happened. However, before he could start laying into Alphys again, you get his attention by tugging on his tattered overcoat. “Save it for when we get out. Let’s get moving.” You give him an innocent grin until his anger shatters.

“Sorry, beautiful. You’re right. Let’s do this!” He says as he takes your hand. “This isn’t over Alphys!” The robot yelled as you both traveled further into the art gallery together.


	50. Halloween Special Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… I’m very sorry. I was supposed to post this yesterday, well… Let’s just say things didn’t work in my favor. I worked from 8am-2pm yesterday before going to the library to work on homework until about 5pm. I was going to post the chapter when I got home… 
> 
> When I did get home, I get a call from work saying that they needed me to close because the coworker who was supposed to do it called in ‘sick’. So back to work I went and I didn’t get home until 10pm in which I pretty much passed out as soon as I got home.
> 
> So I’m sorry that I couldn’t post it, yet there wasn’t anything that I could do.
> 
> Also my coworker isn’t ‘sick’ anymore. -.-

“Hey, Garry~”

“No.”

“Garry!”

“Not going to do it.”

“Aw…Come on, Garry!”

“Songbird, please!” Mettaton whirled on you with both hands on his hips so he wasn’t watching your hands out of the corner of his eye. “I will not answer to that name.”

You silently chuckled at the robot’s sassy stance. The two of you were standing in a new hallway. The room was entirely purple. You had found another diary stand in which Alphys had explained that they were save points. It was a good thing that you had made a habit of visiting them to talk to the monster or else, if you died, you would have to start all the way from the beginning.

At a previous save point, she had explained that your characters do have a set dialog that they are supposed to say and she taught the both of you in how to bring them up when the situation prompted it from you. She even went so far as to explain that the two characters you portrayed were lost in this creepy gallery. As though they were pulled into an alternate one, then telling you that at certain points, you had to build Garry’s bond in order to get one of the best endings. Whatever that meant.

Regardless, you did as she asked with the hints she gave. You needed 8 points to ensure the best ending and you already had 6. Luckily, your natural, want to check and explore everything, nature had ensured that you had gotten 2 of them before Alphys had told you about it.

That woman really needed to step up her hinting game. Not that you weren’t starting to have fun, you just didn’t feel like going through all of this again. On her couch through a computer screen, yes. Not as if you were in it.

Alphys had also introduced the character Mettaton was playing since you both had missed that dialog entirely. Ever since, you have been pestering him with the name just because you knew that he didn’t particularly care for it. Mainly because it rhymed with Jerry.

“Garry!” you signed one last time with an all too innocent smile on your features.

Mettaton let out an exasperated sigh before finally giving into your will. “….what? Ib?”

“Why do you talk like a lady?” you kept up your innocent smile. While in a previous room you had to pick up Mettaton’s coat and give it back to him before talking to him 7 times in the same room. You both had done as the prompts asked. Bringing up the pre-made dialog like Alphys had instructed. At one point, you had an opportunity to actually ‘speak’. Your dialog box had 3 options to pick from: stare back, …….., and why do you speak like a lady?

You immediately selected the 3rd option signing with entire emphasis on the words. 

“Being gentle is something that Garry and I both agree on, darling.” Mettaton simply stated as he turned to look down the hallway, casually playing with the lighter that he had found in his pocket earlier. “Shall we find where these absolutely _lovely_ red footprints lead?” Following his gaze, your eyes traveled down the hallway. They followed the new red paint footprint trail that had appeared after you had found out about the lighter. 

That had been a weird situation.

The two of you had entered a room when the lights suddenly went out after you both had investigated an eerie red and black painting. Mettaton calling out to you as ‘Ib’ to see if you were still there. In the darkness, you both brought up the dialog to see if there was something that was supposed to be discussed. You had decided to reach out in his general direction, hitting the ‘I’m here’ option that had popped up while tugging on his coat sleeve. Prompting the monster to relax a bit. Mettaton had begun to settle down. Whenever dialog popped up he voiced the part perfectly. Once you had ‘responded’, the robot had let out a relieved sigh before the dialog talked of a lighter. He pulled it out and began flicking it, to turn it on.

A loud wailing rang out before the lights suddenly turned back on. The violet walls and floor now covered in words

STOP.

DON’T KILL ME!

NO!

HELP!

As though the painting thought you were going to murder it with fire. It was rather unsettling…You both promptly left to find the red foot print trail. Mulling over the past events, you shrugged. “Might as well. We finished looking at everything else in this area.” Your hands signed as you began following it to a newly opened path. “Unless we messed something up nothing bad shoul-”

“AAAHHH!”

Your body collided with something solid when you went through the new door. You tumbled backwards only to be caught by Mettaton who was eyeing something in front of you with interest. “Whoa, are you okay, sweethearts?” Sweethearts? Plural? Once you were perfectly balanced on your own two feet again, Mettaton stepped forward to the small girl that you had bumped into. She had fallen to the floor and was rubbing the back of her head. There was no doubt that she was the one that had just screamed. The long haired blonde girl scrambled away from him as quickly as her small frame would allow. Mettaton stopped moving and waited for her to stand up while you took in the girl’s appearance.

The girl had long blonde hair that flowed just past her shoulder blades. A long-sleeved green dress that had a white collar and cuffs. A pretty blue scarf was tied under her collar, similar to the red one that was around yours. Black stockings and shoes finish off the outfit but the most striking feature about her were the girl’s vibrant blue eyes. They almost looked too perfect to be real. A yellow rose similar to your red one in her hand. Yet… this was a little odd. All of the main characters so far had been taken over by either you or someone else. Alphys hadn’t said that anyone else was pulled into the game. So was this just a normal character you were dealing with?

Mettaton must have been thinking the same thing. He pulled up his dialog and began saying the lines. “Ah! Wait! Hey, are you… could you be one of the visitors to the gallery?” The blonde’s eyes lit up in recollection and Mettaton gave her a soft smile. “As I thought…” He turned to you and you stepped out from behind the tall robot so that you both were standing side by side. “I am Garry and this, lovely girl, is Ib.” The robot sent you a playful wink and you just rolled your eyes at him. Gesturing for him to continue. “We were in the art gallery, but then somehow found ourselves lost in this place… so now we’re both trying to find a way out. Presumably, darling, you were doing the same?”

She nodded her head to the two of you. Though she was giving you an odd look, as though she had recognized the out of character traits that you two have done. “I… I was looking to see if there was anyone else too… I wanted to get out… So I…”

“Ah, I knew it! Well, would you like to come with us?” Mettaton asked while offering a hand out to the young girl, who was eyeing it warily.

“huh…?” the blue eyed girl cocked her head at the tall robot monster. Mulling his words over.

“It’s dangerous to be alone here. There are lots of strange creatures around. So will you come with us? I think it would be best if we all stay together.” Mettaton was still smiling softly. Trying to reassure the child that neither of you meant any harm.

“Yeah! I’ll come!” the girl finally returned his smile with a bright grin of her own.

Mettaton’s stance relaxed a bit. “Then it’s decided! Oh, what’s your name?”

“Mary.”

“Mary, is a beautiful name. Nice to meet you, darling~” Mettaton practically sung this part and you had to hold back the big grin that wanted to sprout on your face.

“Yeah!” Mary turned to you with a bright grin that turned a little bit shy. “Um…Nice to meet you, Ib…”

A dialog box formed with a couple of options for you to pick from. You selected “Nice to meet you too.” Signing it to the blonde who looked at you even more confused than before but she continued on. A bright grin replacing the shyness.

The blonde chuckled, elated. “Thanks!”

“All right! Now that we have more company, we can proceed with our spirits high!” Mettaton stated while gesturing down the hallway with his blue rose. You silently cheered and let Mary vocalize it in a loud “YAY!” The robot started down the hallway and you two followed with you eyeing Mary with slight suspicion. This was a program with set parameters. Was Mary’s reaction supposed to be that way or not?

You were going to have to ask Alphys later…

 

If Mary could hear Alphys speaking to you through the diary, then she was doing a fantastic job of hiding it. Not long after meeting Mary, your group of three had become separated. You with Mary while Mettaton was all by his lonesome. Being separated wasn’t that big of a deal. You knew that Mettaton was smart and that he could handle himself. Not only that but there was bound to be a save point on his end and Alphys would be there to back him up. The thing you didn’t like about this situation…was Mary.

She unnerved you. You just didn’t know why. Maybe it was the fact that you had found an old sharp palette knife in a box and she had chosen to keep it. Then again you never knew where something like that could come in handy so you probably would have taken it if she hadn’t. Regardless, you were stuck with her and now you were working together to solve a puzzle in a large brown room. Mary had been a rather huge help. She had been nothing but nice as well. There was just…something.

“Don’t worry, (y/n)! M-mettaton is just fine. You both have to work together to solve these puzzles!” Alphys’s voice said from the diary that you were currently fiddling with. Mary standing behind you with nothing more than an emotionless expression. “Just explore the rooms! You’ll be able to figure it out.”

You nodded at the diary even though you knew full well that she couldn’t see it. Instead, you opted to ignore Mary and to go back to exploring in case you missed anything. The sooner these puzzles were solved the sooner Mettaton could come back. Noted, you had a key. Might as well head into the room that it unlocked. You were almost inside the now unlocked room, entirely, when you noticed that Mary had stopped following you. The blonde was still standing in her spot by the diary, eyeing you with an odd expression. You looked back at her with a confused one. Bringing up the dialog box to see if you were supposed to ‘say’ something here to progress.

There was nothing.

A small twinge of fear was making your skin goose-bump as you held a stare down with the little girl. Curious, you lifted your hands. “Mary…?” You signed it and the blonde child started to laugh in a high pitched keening manner. The sudden sound making you start backing up a couple of steps into the other room. Which was another stairwell.

“Oho, ohohohoho, Ahahahahahha~” She held her head in her hands while gazing at the ceiling before looking back at you with a terrifyingly unnatural grin on her face. “You aren’t from this world… are you?”

You blinked. Was this supposed to be a part of the story or…?

“This is just like those other times. Except… you can’t speak. Not normally anyway.” Mary took a step towards you and you mirrored it back. She pulled out the palette knife as she did. “The one before you was always nervous. Had a stutter. You on the other hand… you aren’t her are you..?”

All of the blood drained from your face as the little girl slowly advanced on you with the palette knife. There was only one person you knew that was often nervous and had a stutter. Alphys. Mary was talking about Alphys. Mary wasn’t just a program…she was sentient. So much so that she knows the difference from the way the regular game plays and when someone’s consciousness has been pulled in. But….how?

“That’s right… another person. Another person that has taken over Ib’s body… I wonder…” She was just a few feet in front of you now as your back hit the wall. “What would happen…If I take your place…? Will I finally be free?” Mary raised the palette knife ready to strike.

“SONGBIRD!” Mettaton ran forward grappling the blonde girl’s arms, trying to get the palette knife away from her. “What are you doing, Mary?!”

“Shut up!” Mary snarled at Mettaton. “Why did the one time everything was different… YOU had to be different too?!” the girl pushed forward. Surprising you with her strength. “I WON’T GO BACK! I WANT OUT! I **_WILL_** GET OUT!!!”

Mettaton shoved the girl away and she toppled backwards. Impaling herself on the knife that she had intended to use on you. “Songbird..? Are you okay? Alphys warned me that something had gone array and got here as fast as I coul-” You cut him off as you dashed forward, wrapping your arms around his waist and burying your face into the tank top. Feeling the weight of his arms around you as he hugged you back, you let out a relieved sigh. “We need to get out of here, now.”

You nodded before pulling out of the embrace and taking his hand. Like the first time you met in this place, you headed onward hand in hand. Only looking back once to see the still form of Mary.

 

“Shhh…Don’t move…” Mettaton whispered in your ear as he pulled you as quietly as he could back behind the wall. The two of you had been investigating a house in the new area. Unlike the other areas, this place…didn’t look real. Everything looked as though it had been drawn by a small child. You had found a rather poorly drawn bucket which you assumed was a part of the next puzzle when the door to the house was suddenly slammed open.

“Ib…Garry….Where are you?” Mary’s slightly panicked voice carried into the room and the two of you had frozen on the spot. Now you both were just praying that she didn’t decide to take a peek into your little hidey-hole. Too scared to even breathe, you waited with your eyes scrunched closed. Willing for the creepy girl to go away. Her footsteps echoed on the floor as Mary paced the room. You heard her sigh before her steps picked up and the door was slammed again.

Mettaton and you waited a few moments before relaxing. Looking at each other with worried expressions. “…Don’t tell me…that was…” He let that sentence drift away. “She’s after us...”

“Is this programmed? Or is this because she wants to somehow switch places with me…?” you signed to Mettaton whose brow creased in thought.

“I…I don’t know. I have never played this game before.” He shrugged, the worried expression still on his face.

“How does she even know about that? How can a character in an RPG Maker game become sentient..?” You asked him, your eyes pleading for an answer. It was one thing if this was programmed. It was another entirely how Mary was able to differentiate between the personalities of the characters. Whether Ib was being controlled by someone or not.

The robot rubbed his forehead in deep thought. “We need to get to a diary and talk to Alphys.” You nodded and let him take the lead. The two of you had run into a diary stand a little ways back. You just had to get over to it. Cautiously, Mettaton left the house with you following close behind. Taking careful steps on the poorly drawn walkway until you reached the dead center of the large area that you were in. The robot headed over to the stand and began flipping through the pages. “Alphys…Just how many times have you played this game? And by played, I mean actually put yourself in it?”

“Uh….a lot.” The timid voice coming from the diary stated. “I mean A LOT! I-I just love b-being able to experience the entire g-gallery!”

“Maybe your magic combined with your love for the game and because of this Mary is starting to become sentient or has become sentient?” Mettaton asked. He sounded like a detective trying to solve a tough case.

Alphys paused a good moment before speaking again. “I-it’s possible…Though this is the first time it’s happened…Regardless, you both need to end the game as fast as you can. I-I don’t trust Mary. I’m going to go i-into the programming and give you the final key. J-Just do the last two bonding things before going into the pink house and you should be good to go.” You both nodded and headed to do the bond things that Alphys had told you in detail earlier.

Outside…Everything had changed and your pocket felt a little bit heavier. You reached in to pull out a plastic key. Probably for the only house that was locked, other than the pink one. Once you finished what you had to do, you both headed into the house that was all the way to the north. It held a box and a save stand. You flipped the pages of the diary with Alphys stuttering a good luck at you before going to investigate the box.

The two of you peered into the poorly drawn box. The darkness pitch black. “I can’t say that I see the bottom…” Mettaton pointed out to no one in particular. You nodded your head in agreement. “Is it really in there?”

“Wanna see?”

You meant to turn around to the voice that had come from behind but a small hand had shoved you hard in the center of your back making you fall off balance. Your eyes darted towards Mettaton to see that he, too, had the same thing happen to him. Unable to grab the edge of the box in time, you silently screamed as you plummeted into the abyss of the toy box. Darkness filling your vision.

 

It hurt. Your entire body felt as though it had been hit by a truck. You weakly stood up to find yourself in a room full of creepy dolls, mannequin heads, and dress models. Mettaton was gone. Your rose was gone. Wait… your rose was gone! Despite the pain, you stood up, frantically looking for the flower. This was not how this was going to end. You had come so far. You weren’t going to let this happen only for you to start outside of this room again. Screw that. Yes, you were worried about Mettaton but that flower was slightly more important.

 

Eventually, you found it while keeping a safe distance from everything in the room. It was no small wonder why you hurt so much… the rose looked like it was about to wilt entirely. If you were hit just once… it was over. Nothing was moving right now but you weren’t going to take that chance. You even found Mettaton sprawled out on the ground, groaning in pain. You made a mental note to ask if his actual body had nerve endings or not. Kneeling down, you gently nudged him until he was sitting up. “Ugh… I hit my head…” His voice was heavy and slightly groggy. He looked up and scanned the room for a moment. “Well… I don’t know where we are but…are you alright?”

 

You held out your rose, letting him get a good look at it. The poor thing looked as bad as you currently felt. Only three petals remained on the stem. “I hurt all over.” You signed with a pained expression on your face.

 

“I don’t doubt it… When the rose gets hurt, we do too…” Mettaton said softly before gently pushing your hand back so that you would put the rose in your pocket. “We need to get out of here… The pink key is in here correct?” You nodded but you felt something heavy in your pocket again. Reaching in to pull out a pink key. Thank you, Alphys! Now you didn’t have to go searching for it.

The room turned dark and an ominous music started to play. You glanced at Mettaton only to see that everything in the box had come to life. The mannequins slowly rolled in your direction, creepy dolls giggling in high pitched tones as they crawled, and the headless dress models reaching out with their arms. “We need to go.” you signed only to have strong arms lift you up as Mettaton picked you up bridal style.

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” He books it towards the only exit. All of the creatures closing in on you. Mettaton is forced to jump over a mannequin head and elegantly evade the clutches of a dress model before he makes it to the stairs. He takes them two at a time and doesn’t stop in the hallway. Instead, opting to give as much room as possible between you and the monsters in the toy box. It led to a room that was overgrown with poorly drawn yellow roses. The exit completely blocked but the stairs going up were open. Mettaton set you down and you glanced at the stairs then at him.

“I don’t like this… Didn’t Mary have a yellow rose?” You asked with the robot nodding his head.

“Yeah…” He glanced at the diary stand that the room held and flipped a page.

“T-this isn’t how it’s supposed to go!” Alphys’s voice comes out and its fear even had you on edge. “The s-stairs should be blocked with the exit open… Just… use the lighter!”

Use the lighter? Mettaton took it out and flicked it on, aiming the small flame at the thorny roses blocking the exit.

Nothing happened.

You let out a weary sigh. “I guess… we have to go up the stairs.”

“I don’t like this one bit…be prepared, gorgeous.” Mettaton moved to the stairwell and you moved to stand behind him, giving him an affirmative nod. You both headed up to an attic-like space. Dolls and drawing supplies littered the floor with a large elaborate painting on the opposite end. “Isn’t that… Mary’s painting…?” You shrugged at the robot then took a couple of steps forward. How were you supposed to know what it looked like?

“No…”

You both turned around to see Mary on the stairs. Palette knife brandished.

“I was so close… So close… to being free. I won’t…” Her head whipped up and you could see the burning rage consuming the girl. “I WON’T LOSE NOW!” She charges at the two of you full force, though her focus was actually on you.

Not really thinking, you run to the opposite end of the room, trapped by the painting with Mettaton by your side. What were you supposed to do here? Mary was still advancing! There wasn’t a lot of time to think. You heard a click and looked at Mettaton’s hand for the source of the sound. He was still holding the lighter from trying to light the flowers a few moments ago. Wait… the lighter! You snatched it out of Mettaton’s hand and flicked it on, bringing it to the canvas. The old oil paint igniting instantly.

“NOOOOOOOOOoooooo! I WON’T GO BACK!” Mary screamed still advancing. The light from the flames were growing. It was growing too fast. Almost like it was… glowing.

Mettaton snatched up your hand and pulled you towards the burning painting. “Alphys managed to make an access point! Let’s go!” He shoved you into the painting first and a familiar white light enveloped your vision.

When it faded you were sitting on a couch with your head resting on Mettaton’s shoulder. Alphys was flitting over you while Toriel. Asgore, Frisk, Undyne, Sans, and Papyrus all stood off to the side with concerned expressions on their faces. “O-oh my gosh! A-are you okay?! Is everything working..?”

You blinked at the yellow monster before your eyes widened. You grabbed Alphys by the shoulders and jumped to the side. Narrowly avoiding a green sleeved arm thrusting a palette knife in your direction. Nearly stabbing your monster friend in the back. From the laptop on the coffee table, Mary had her upper torso sticking out of it, as though she was mimicking the lady in red painting. “I… won’t… go… back! Aha! Ahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA!”

She tried to pull herself further out of the laptop only to stop. A blue aura surrounded the girl and you looked over to Sans. His left eye lit up. He wasn’t the only one displaying magic though. Both Toriel and Asgore had flames at the ready with Undyne aiming a blue spear directly at Mary’s face.

“Yes…Yes, you will, darling.” Mettaton leaned forward from his position in the couch. Shaking his head groggily, like he had just woken up from a deep sleep. With one of his long legs, he pressed it to Mary’s forehead. Slowly pushing her back into the laptop screen. “I don’t know how you were able to jump through the access point but I can assure you, it will NOT be happening again.”

“NO! STOP! I WILL BE FREE!” The child screeched trying to struggle against her bonds but to no avail.

The robot kept pushing until she sunk back into the laptop entirely. “Alphys, sweetheart. Please close the access point. I don’t want to have to keep my foot on your screen and I doubt Sans wants to be using his magic all night.”

“R-right!” the small yellow monster moved out of your arms and began typing on the keyboard of the laptop. Yellow magic sparks dancing off of her. With a final key stroke, the white light that had taken over the laptop’s screen turned to normal. Now you could see the game. Mary stood alone in the attic space. The dialog box going off at an alarming pace. “Let’s…just turn this off…” Her claw her down the power button. She didn’t even bother to power it down the right way.

You moved to slump back onto the couch. Your heart hammering in your chest. “I don’t know about you…but I’m done with scary things for this Halloween. Can we just watch the Ghostbusters DVD I brought?” you signed looking like you ran a marathon. Hell, you felt like you had done just that.

 

“That should definitely lift everyone’s _spirits_.” Sans stated while shrugging. His white shirt saying anatomical model not getting lost on you.

“SANS, NO!” Papyrus practically screeched before storming out of the room with Frisk and Undyne following. Sans following just to pester his brother some more.

Alphys went about unplugging the laptop and setting up the movie while you and Mettaton kind of just relaxed on the couch. “Songbird?” You nodded your head with your eyes closed.

“What is… Ghostbusters…?”

Halloween Special END


	51. Chapter 33

“ONE PUUUUNNCH!” Undyne leapt off the couch high into the air. Mimicking the anime character’s one punch move on screen. She lands perfectly on to the coffee table and you briefly wonder if Alphys custom made that table with Undyne in mind. It would explain why it didn’t snap in half under the force. “Man, I wish I could do that! Saitama rules!” the fish woman’s excitement was infectious. Both you and Alphys were buzzing with excitement as well even though you had just started watching the series. This was definitely something that you needed after the past couple of days you have had.

You finished with all of the SOUL testing about 45 minutes ago. The strain of keeping your SOUL out for so long had made you weak. Even now that your SOUL was back inside, you still felt…exposed. Alphys had said that it was just a side effect from having it out for longer than a few moments but you were safe so long as the connection between your body and SOUL wasn’t severed. Still… it felt very weird. After she was sure you were okay, she kidnapped you for the rest of the day. Preventing you from going back to work by calling and telling Mettaton that you still had testing to do. Which wasn’t 100% true. You were still waiting for the results but now it was just an anime day. With the way Undyne and Alphys were, they were planning on binging this entire series. You were just along for the ride.

Taking a sip from your melon flavored ramune bottle, you settled back into your seat as the credits began to roll on this episode. The cue counting down to the next episode on screen. Undyne hopped off the table and moved back into her position between you and Alphys, clapping her hand on your shoulder as she did. Though it was significantly gentler than any other time she had done it. “So…You and Mettaton are pretty close…”

Blinking, you look up at Undyne while raising an eyebrow at her. Your face giving off a ‘Noooooo, really?’ look that made her bark out a laugh. However, you weren’t sure where she was going with this. Especially since it was so out of the blue. “Yes….? What about it?” You sign to her with all of your interest.

“Well… I was just wondering if either of you had asked the other out yet. Y’know. Make it official.” Undyne shrugged nonchalantly but you could tell she really wanted to know. Alphys was also interested. The small dinosaur was now sprawled across her girlfriend’s lap looking at you with big expectant eyes.

You smirk at them. “Don’t you mean o- _fish_ -al?”

“NO!” Undyne points an accusing finger at you with a growl. “Sans is not here. No puns!”

“Ouch! Undyne _tuna_ down the volume! My ears are ringing.” You were rolling in your seat despite Undyne’s agonized screech. Too late. The punster was on the loose.

The fish woman grabbed you by the shoulders and stared you straight in the eyes. “You aren’t getting out of this, punk. So have you two made it official or what?”

“A-also! W-who asked w-who?” Alphys piped up. The two monsters practically on top of your small form. Nope. Your attempt at distraction failed. Oh well.

You were about to sign yes, then stopped. Your brows creasing. Yes. You had asked Mettaton to be yours but you had passed out before you could get his answer. So you don’t know if you really are or not. Seeing you hesitate, the two monsters glanced at each other before turning back to you. “That is a look that I didn’t expect. Do I need to go turn a robot into a trashcan?” Undyne’s face had changed from playful frustration to deadly serious. You frantically shook your head no. Mettaton didn’t need to be pulverized. It wasn’t his fault.

“Do you guys remember when I had been hospitalized before the SOUL operation…?” you signed to the two of them catching the monsters off guard. 

They glanced at each other again with perplexed expressions before looking back at you nodding. “Man, how could we forget? When we got the call from Mettaton, we were sure that you wouldn’t make it to the hospital…” Undyne’s face had a frown on it now. “You scared the hell out of all of us…”

You nodded your head in solemn understanding. That was something that you hadn’t really discussed with everyone yet. What happened after you had passed out backstage. You didn’t want to remind them of what happened but you kind of wanted to know. However, that was a question to be answered later. “Well… I knew that the last big attack was going to happen. It was just a matter of when. Even if I didn’t survive it, I had wanted to make sure it was official. I didn’t want to regret not asking, y’know? So I went to the studio to ask Mettaton and that’s when a stage light fell near me and initiated the attack.” You stopped signing for a moment to gauge the reactions of your monster friends.

“So?! Did you ask him?!” Alphys was almost entirely in your face. A grim expression had been on her face before being lost in her sudden burst of excitement. She probably would have asked if you were okay if it wasn’t for the fact that it had already happened and you were still here. It was done and over with and you appreciated not being dragged into a pity talk.

“Yes.” You gave her a weak smile that broadened when Alphys let out a triumphant laugh.

“Pay up, Undyne!” She held out a yellow claw to her girlfriend who let out a low groan. Reaching into her jeans pocket, the fish woman produced a twenty and handed it to Alphys.

“You bet on who would ask the other out first…?” you asked while cocking your head at the two of them.

“We like to make fun little bets about our friends. We have a little booklet so that we can keep track. It’s not just us though. Take a look.” Undyne shrugged before digging into the drawer on the end table and producing a journal with anime characters on it. She pulled the pen out of the binding and marked something before handing it to you.

Pushing Alphys off so that she slowly slid onto the floor between the coffee table and the couch, you took the journal to begin flipping through it. Undyne wasn’t kidding. Almost everyone was in here. Undyne had a bet with Papyrus on how many jobs Sans currently has. Alphys had a bet with Mettaton on which new TV series will be the most popular by the end of the year. You continued to read through them. A few making you silently chuckle at how ridiculous they were. One between Sans and Alphys was great.

It was a long term one. One that was already almost 2 years in and would last at least 4 more years. Sans had bet on the price of oil vs. Big Macs. Whichever had the most value at the end of the time limit won. Alphys has been keeping track of the prices and currently Sans was winning. Burger prices had a 49% increase whereas oil only went up 19%. You were kind of disappointed that he hadn’t used ketchup. Still. He was somehow winning with Big Macs and you rather respected him for it. Your eyes continued to scan the various bets until it lands on two in particular.

The first one was the one that Undyne had just marked with the pen. She had circled Alphys’s name marking her as the winner of the bet about which of you would ask the other out first. The one under it… you didn’t like as much. It was whether the person who was asked said yes or no. That bet was a little mean. Though… to be honest, you would have probably done it for someone else pending on how well you knew them. You looked up to see that both Alphys and Undyne had been staring at you. Waiting until you got to the bet you just read. “W-well…? Did he say yes?” Alphys asked with big eyes.

“Can I ask something first?” You signed before rereading the bet. It didn’t list who had bet that you or Mettaton would say no. Asking, you got a surprised laugh from the two of them.

“That’s because we both bet that each of you would say yes. We just bet on which one said ‘yes’ first.” Undyne barked with a toothy smile. “You think that one of us bet that you would say no?”

“It reads that way in the book.” Feeling slightly better about not having 2 of your good friends doubting your relationship, you closed the book and handed it to Alphys. “But…I don’t know.”

“W-What do you mean, y-you don’t know?!” The small dinosaur’s voice squeaked from receiving the news. Undyne was staring at you in slight disbelief.

You gave them a shrug with a solemn smile. “I asked when I was already in the throes of the attack. I ended up blacking out before hearing his answer.”

“Has he not told you since???” You shook your head at Undyne’s words and she let out a roar of frustration. “DAMMIT! We NEED to know!”

“Y-you should ask him again! Though in a more romantic c-cutesy way this time.” Alphys had a slight blush on her face as she said it and you were curious as to what she was imagining right now.

But they had a point. Instead of beating around the bush, you should ask him again. This time without the life threatening situation pushing you to do it. Sitting up you give them a bright smile. “Yeah! That sounds perfect but what should I do?” you signed to them. Your excitement mounting.

Alphys hopped up and down. “Well, most generally, you have to give him gifts to raise his affection so that you have another shot in asking!” You cocked an eyebrow at the monster who ignored it entirely. Was she treating romance like a dating sim? “So you should buy him a gift or make him one!”

“Yeah! And you can put the question in with the gift so that he reads it after opening.” Undyne lifted Alphys under her arm while using the remote to pause the One Punchman episode that had started to play without any of you paying attention. “C’mon! Get up, punk!”

“Why…?” You stayed in your nice comfy spot on the couch setting your ramune bottle back on the table.

“Because we are going shopping!” Before you even had a chance to sign anything, Undyne had lifted you under her free arm. Carrying Alphys and yourself effortlessly into the garage. “To the mall!” The strong fish woman shoved the two of you into the back seat before manning the wheel of the vehicle. Undyne was excited. To excited. You shared a brief glance with Alphys before the two of you scrambled to right yourselves and put on your seat belts.

Not one second after your belt clicked into its holster, Undyne threw the sedan in reverse. Peeling out of the garage and through the door. The sound of metal crunching and tearing making your ears ring a bit. Your body was sent deep into the upholstery of your seat from the sheer amount of g-force that you were currently experiencing. There was no doubt that the rear end of the car was probably badly damaged. Alphys let out a scream as her girlfriend got the car onto the road, narrowly avoiding a head on collision with another vehicle. “UNDYNE! WE JUST GOT THROUGH TESTING!” Alphys voice carried high over the roar of the car engine while pointing in your general direction. “WE DON’T HAVE THE RESULTS YET SO DRIVE SAFER!”

The car that had been easily going 80mph in a 30mph zone slowed to the correct speed with Undyne looking into the rear view mirror at the two of you sheepishly. “Right! Sorry, sorry…” Your knuckles were white from how hard you were gripping your seat. Nails digging deep into the fabric. Your heart was hammering in your chest but not painfully so. Though if that had continued, there was no guarantee. 

Fortunately for you, Undyne heeded her girlfriend’s words. Driving like a model citizen to the open air mall that was about 15 minutes away from the lab. The fish woman drags you both out of the car and the three of you begin browsing the shops. Your goal: Find a gift for Mettaton. The problem…what would he like?! Alphys had found a book called ‘100 Ways to Pose in Public Places’ but you had shook your head at that. The robot idol didn’t need any pointers for something like that. Undyne had found some stylish leggings. You almost picked that out. Almost. The robot did like to show off his legs but the leggings would cover them up! Thus defeating the purpose. This…was harder to do than you thought it would. What do you get someone who has everything they ever wanted…?

Noticing that you had become separated in the mall from your monster companions, you shrugged it off and continued to browse the stores in search of a gift. Out of habit, you wandered into a music shop. Mettaton did a variety of things but the most the two of you had in common was music. There had to be something in here that could work. You found a lot of things that you wanted but nothing that would be good enough for Mettaton. Actually, that wasn’t true. He would probably love anything that you gave him. The fact that you thought of him and got him something is what mattered to the robot. Yet, you wanted the gift to mean more than that. Frustrated, you were about to walk out of the store when something behind a glass case caught your eye. Inside, was a pair of necklaces called Love Tuners. They looked like a pair of charm necklaces, with brass findings holding a silver cylinder, but the fact they were behind glass meant they were something a bit more. 

“Oh are you interested in the Love Tuners?” The male clerk that had been sitting bored behind the counter asked when he noticed you staring at them. You nodded your head and pointed at the case with a questioning look on your face. Not wanting to have to use the text to voice app right now. He chuckled and stood up, making his way over to you. “They aren’t just necklaces.” The clerk states as he unlocked the case and pulled a spare one out. Bringing it to his lips, he gently blew into it and a soft sound came out. “They are one tone flutes set to 528 Hertz. Also known as the love frequency. It’s supposed to help one calm down when they are stressed by focusing on ones breathing and sound. We often sell them in pairs because couples give one to each other to remind their significant other that even though they aren’t there right then, they are there to support them whenever. Just blow into the flute.”

That.

Was _perfect_.

Without any hesitation, you bought the pair on display. Even having the clerk gift wrap it, after writing the question out and putting it in the really nice box. You hummed in your head while skipping out of the store with a bright smile on your face. You had your gift. Now you just had to give it to Mettaton the next chance that you got. However, your current goal was to find your missing gift comrades. More than likely they were in the bookstore seeing the new manga releases.

Wandering the open air mall to the main circular courtyard that doubled as a type of garden food court, you took in the smells and sounds. It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to be out and about. There were so many people… to many people??? You looked up to see that a large mass of both humans and monsters were congregated in one of the walkways between two stores. They were packed so tight that they were blocking the entire path. No one could get around them. What was going on here?

You stepped back a bit from the crowd, climbing onto a stone bench so that you could see over all of the people. The mob was thick and right in the center of it…was Mettaton. BP stood next to him, attempting to control the crowd but not having much luck. The robot idol was being gracious to everyone that was coming up to him. A bright smile was on his face as he signed a poster that a fan had held out to him. Was he supposed to be here doing a meet and greet? You tried to remember his jam-packed schedule and all it did was make your head hurt. Though with the lack of organization that this had screamed impromptu meet and greet. More than likely, Mettaton was here to set something up with one of the stores or the theater and someone had recognized him. More people saw him and poof! Insta-mob!

That was one thing about stardom that you rather didn’t like. The only way Mettaton could get around like a normal person would be to wear a disguise. That or have pretty much everyone from your little group of friends nearby to act as wonderful distractions. 

Mettaton handed back the poster and looked up to talk to the next person only for his eyes to squint as though he was looking at something in the distance. It took you a moment to realize that he was probably looking at you. The one human standing on a bench in the middle of an open air mall. His eyes light up in recognition and he raises his hand to give you a wave which you happily return.

A tugging on your other arm has you being pulled off of the bench and you somehow landed safely as you were dragged into a nearby alley between the stores. Forceful hands pushed you so that your back was against the wall and you were face to face with the person who had brought you over here.

Koppel.

Faster than you thought you could ever do, you whipped out the mace and aimed right for the eyes. The dark laughter that he emitted proving that it hadn’t worked. “Nice try, but I learned a small bit since our last encounter.” He was smirking at you and that’s when you realized that Koppel was wearing some type of swimming goggles. The mace dripping uselessly onto the alley floor. “Now… listen… I don’t know how but the two of you have single handedly… destroyed my life. I have a criminal record, I lost my job, and no other journalist company will hire me due to my poor… choices.” He backed up a bit, removing his hands from your shoulders and giving you some room to breathe.

Your entire body was on edge. Fight or flight mode already activated. This man wreaked and he was dirty. He probably hadn’t had a chance to get a proper shower after what had happened at your house. The police hadn’t caught him so that meant Koppel had been on the run the entire time these past few days. You did notice that he didn’t have a weapon this time. Which did make this encounter a tad bit less scary. Your eyes looked past the man and scanned behind him. Three of your friends were in this mall. One only about 30 feet away. Feeling a sense of strength from knowing that your friends were nearby, you took Koppel’s moment of monologue to try and get around him and out into the open.

He quickly cut off your escape by standing in the middle of the alley while crossing his arms and shaking his head at you. Almost like you were a small child that needed to be sent to time out. Your anger flared up, surprising you a bit. Your heart was hammering in your chest but not to the point that it hurt. You were just… sick of this! All of the threats, sneaking around, the constant fear, him BREAKING in… now he kind of kidnapped you in broad daylight? It all felt like suddenly it was too much! The anger within you boiling over. Enough was enough. “What is it that you want from me?!” you signed to him not knowing if he understood you or not. That was one thing about all of your encounters with him that you never figured out.

“What do I want? It’s simple really. I don’t like monsters. Well, that isn’t really accurate.” Koppel says with a casual shrug as you debated whether or not it was possible for you to run to the opposite end of the alley fast enough for him to not catch you. This alley wasn’t blocked off. It was open on both ends to act as a quick path to another section of the mall. “I despise them. They aren’t natural! Now they want to assimilate into human culture and what’s worse…” His gaze narrows at you as if you were one of the most disgusting things he had ever seen. “Is that they are now trying to date cross species. You do realize how wrong that is, right?”

Your gaze narrowed at the ex-reporter in loathing. “No. I don’t realize what’s wrong with it because there isn’t anything that is.” You took a couple of bold steps forward as the anger within you started to turn into rage. “Mettaton and I are both consenting adults. Whether we date or not, has NEVER concerned you or even affected your obviously very short sighted world. Believe it or not, we are allowed to date if we want to!” Your hands were starting to pick up pace as the rage boiled over and you missed the look on Koppel’s face as he struggled to keep up. The bag that held your present swinging on your wrist under the flurry of motions. “You have no right to tell us how we live our lives or who we date. If you don’t like it, all you have to do is look away or ignore it!” 

The fear that you had was long gone and instead replaced by your rage that was so much your body shook. Practically begging to be unleashed. Koppel shook his head. “That may be true but just because you can doesn’t mean you shoul-”

“Now what’s the point of life if you live your life in such a small minded world, darling?” You looked up as the man turned around to see Mettaton standing right behind him. A hand on his shoulder and a way to sweet smile gracing his features. Somehow the robot had gotten away from the crowd and you were impressed that no one seemed to have followed him here. Koppel stuttered at the idol’s sudden appearance, attempting to back pedal out of the robot monster’s grasp but Mettaton clenches his hand tightly. With the way Koppel jolted a bit, it must have hurt. “I must say, Koppel… Your…persistence is quite admirable. I don’t know many who would keep trying at this point. I have taken almost everything from you except your life. To be honest, I don’t know if it is out of pure determination or sheer stupidity.” Mettaton states with an overly friendly laugh that has the human male on edge. “Regardless… I appreciate your approach on this… but”

“I think it’s time to see your _final_ departure.” the robot’s normally pink eyes turned a deep shade of red. Any remnant of mock friendliness was gone. Mettaton glared at Koppel with a look that you were glad that you have never been on the receiving end of.

A whirring metallic sound had you looking at Mettaton’s right arm as it began to morph into something else. The robot leaned in to Koppel’s ear while his left hand dropped into the man’s pocket. The human male stood entirely still, too afraid to move. “You know, sweetheart…” The rather deep and level voice of Mettaton began just above a whisper. Loud enough for you to hear from your spot a few feet away. Raising his right arm, you could see that the arm had turned into some kind cannon. The barrel glowing as it began to charge up with magic. “This body has built in anti-human combat features. Ones that, to be honest, I have forgotten about for the most part. I don’t even know if they still work…” You could see from the way that the cannon was whirring to life and getting brighter as it charged that it worked just fine. The look on Koppel’s face told you that the man had reached the same conclusion. 

“You know, despite everything… The false reports, scandals, and threats… I think I have been rather patient and nice about it all. Even though, ever since you have gone after my little Songbird, all I’ve wanted to do is evaporate you into nothing but… What can I say? Things don’t work like that up here.” Mettaton let out a dark chuckle that should have scared you but instead his words had a blush forming on your cheeks. “Now, darling, I wouldn’t want to test to see if these features still work or not. But I must say… If you **_EVER_** come near Songbird again…”

“I just might.”

Mettaton leans away. In his left hand, he is holding three different types of tape recorders and 2 phones. Without looking away from Koppel, his hand squeezes. Crushing the small recording machines into useless pieces of plastic and computer parts. The robot makes sure that all three are completely pulverized. Whatever was on them, now lost forever. He drops the pieces that were still in his hand as his right one turned back into a normal arm. 

You watch as Mettaton steps around Koppel who appeared as though he was in a state of shock. The robot’s grin returning the closer he got to you. “Shall we go, beautiful?” He asked while taking one of your hands gently with his. Guiding you out the opposite end of the alley and leaving Koppel to fall to the ground as his legs gave out, Mettaton hummed a familiar tune with you falling into step next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty! Time for some fun facts! :D
> 
> First off! That bet between Sans and Alphys about the price of oil vs Big Macs is actually true. It is an ongoing bet between my father and my uncle. My dad is winning with Big Macs and it's hilarious as hell. They keep track of the economy and the like to figure it out.
> 
>  
> 
> Second! Love tuners are actually a thing. Except the couple lovey dovey part. I added that! XD
> 
> You can find em here if interested. http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/love-tuner?gclid=CjwKEAiA6YDBBRDwtpTQnYzx5lASJAC57ObM6Xaqsgx0uzdRBwfQixSjpOaGXMWSU12f_0yvQDGJmRoCq9vw_wcB  
> NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT! Just proof they actually exist X3


	52. I'm sorry x.x

Okay, so... I'm going to apologize now. With everything that ended up happening this week, I didn't get today's chapter done. I had a few tests, a bunch of homework, work, and the last 2 days I haven't even been home. I was at my brother's house helping him and our friend with their twitch streams (I was making layouts, graphics, etc. All that pretty fancy stuff twitch streamers have). If that wasn't made obvious with my previous posts.

The chapter is about halfway done so it will probably be out Tuesday or Wednesday instead and as for next week's, there won't be one because I am staying at my Grandmother's for the week to prepare her house for winter. The only thing that can get internet access there is on her kindle, so I will not be able to post. (She doesn't know her internet password so none of my stuff has access. she isn't tech savvy so finding it among her HUNDREDS of tech notes would take forever.) I'm very sorry for the inconvenience x.x


	53. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back and better than ever! Here is Mettaton Monday's chapter!

Oxygen.

Why must you take it for granted most of the time?

You sat on one of the many Grecian style stone benches that were placed around the open air mall. This one was almost entirely invisible. It was positioned to sit, exact center, between two large trees and a nicely trimmed hedge. The sculpted hedge reaching at least 5 feet above your sitting form. Unless someone came at you head on, there was no way that they could see your position. All of the plants that the mall had were really well taken care of. Did Asgore have a gardening side business when he wasn’t dealing with politics? You would have to ask him the next time that you were at his house. Looking up at the sky, your shoulders heaved while your lungs took in the sweet oxygen that it needed. It’s a good thing that you had found this spot or else you would have still been running. 

Not long after Mettaton and yourself left Koppel in the alley, the two of you had turned a corner and right into the huge group of MTT fans from earlier. Your ears were still ringing from the high pitched fangirl squeals of 100+ people erupting at once. Mettaton had given them a smile before spinning himself, and you, around to run in the opposite direction. The monsters and humans giving chase so that they could get a chance to speak to the robot idol. 

Dodging kiosks and bystanders, you both had rounded a corner in your attempt to escape only to run into your, previously missing, monster companions. You had almost plowed right into Alphys if Undyne didn’t have her razor sharp reflexes. The strong fish woman had snatched Alphys up and out of the way just in time. Before anyone from the crowd saw where you were, Mettaton pulled you behind a large billboard sign that hid you from their view. Confused on why Mettaton was here, and even more so by his behavior, Undyne was about to ask what you two were hiding from when the large mob came into view. Both female monsters looked back at you and all you did was hold up the arm that had your purchase dangling it from it with pleading eyes. 

They got the hint.

While carrying Alphys under one arm, Undyne dashed out into the open and pointed in a random direction shouting “IS THAT METTATON?!” at the top of her lungs. She then commenced to lead the mob on a wild goose chase through the mall. All the while, leading them further away from your position allowing you to slip away to this conveniently secluded spot. Which was perfect, because you felt like you were dying after that sprint.

“Songbird~ I’m back with a treat~” Mettaton sung out as he rounded the corner into your current hiding spot. He held two fruit smoothies, one in each hand. Not really caring which you had, you took the pink one of the two he offered, since it was the closest, taking a grateful slurp from the purple straw. The cool fruity liquid melted as it journeyed down your throat, sating the dryness that had made its home there during your run. You leaned against Mettaton’s side when he sat down next to you. Tapping the cup you held in appreciation. “Feeling better, beautiful?” the robot hummed out after taking a sip from the yellow one.

Nodding, you took another good slurp before setting the smoothie next to you on the bench with your baggie. “Very much! Though I have to ask… how did you know I was in trouble?” Your hands signed to the robot.

“Oh, you mean how I appeared behind Koppel a few moments ago?” He asked and continued after you nodded to him again. “Well, sweetheart, I didn’t know that you were in trouble. I just saw someone drag you off the bench and assumed the worst. It was rather tricky slipping away from that crowd.”

“How did you sneak away?” That was something that you had been wondering about. How had Mettaton snuck away from such a large crowd without any of them following him?  
The robot pushed a button on his belt and a compartment opened that held several little circular gadgets within. He pulled one out and handed it to you. “With this little beauty that Alphys designed for me.” Mettaton said giving you a playful wink. He took the bottom piece off the one you held and moved to place it on a nearby trashcan. “Alright, now hit the red button on top of the piece you are holding.”

You did as he asked and there was a brief flash of light, then that was it. Skeptical, you looked up from the gadget to say something when you noticed that you were magically sitting in the air next to Mettaton, where the trashcan had been a few moments before. But… you hadn’t moved. You were still sitting on the bench. It was like you were looking in a mirror.

Curious as to what was going on, you stood up and approached the fake ‘you’. There was a distinct metal dragging sound with each footstep you took. Looking up at Mettaton in confusion, you noticed that the robot was struggling to hold back laughter. You walked over to him and poked his side and that’s when he lost it. His vibrant laughter filling the mini courtyard. He looked at the confused expression that your fake-self had. “I-I’m so sorry, Songbird. That device, the Swapdisc, uses a combination of technology and illusion magic. Once activated, it switches your current image with the object that the bottom half of the gadget is attached to.” 

“So I’m…” you began to sign.

“A trashcan.” Mettaton was still chuckling and he was holding his side. “I’m sorry but I hadn’t expected you to stand up and move! I wasn’t expecting a random trashcan on a bench to come to life and drag itself over to me.”

“Well now, you know the true me. I’m nothing but trash.” You signed to him with a devilish smirk forming on your face. Immediately, your energy returned. You ran circles around the robot while jumping around. All the while you were signing “Be trash with me!” Over and over until the robot lost it again.

“Songbird, _please!_ ” he said after recovering, dramatically putting one hand on his hip while flicking his black locks out of his eye with the other. “I was known as the ‘metal trashcan’ since my career in showbiz started.” Mettaton took the bottom of the gadget off of the trashcan. Your fake-self jumping in place and signing away turned back into the trashcan that you had the appearance of previously. “You’re just now starting to catch up, beautiful.”

You stuck your tongue at Mettaton with a pout. Regardless, you handed back your half of the gadget and moved back to the bench for another sip of smoothie. “So…what did you attach the bottom end to? A sign? A plant?” your hands asked once you were settled.

“BP.”

Mettaton gently patted your back when you choked on the smoothie that you had been sipping when he said that. “What?!”

“I attached the bottom half of the Swapdisc to BP as he was trying to push the crowd apart. Though it wasn’t that simple. I had to make it look like we switched. So I ‘fell’ on him and during the scuffle I switched with him. Unlike a stationary object, if the thing you attach the bottom part moves then the image will change to match the movement independent of your own. Meaning he looked like me even as he moved.” The robot shrugged while holding up another Swapdisc that was missing the bottom.

You imagined a really confused cat monster suddenly being swarmed by all of Mettaton’s fans. There was no way that he would have remained 100% calm. “Did he scale the crowd and climb one of the stores to hide out on the roof?”

The chuckle the robot emitted seemed to confirm your answer. “You must be hanging out with him to much because, yeah. That’s pretty much what happened.”

“You know that he is going to make your life hell after that, right?” Your head shook at the robot slowly as you signed to him. BP was a good manager and a great guy. But cross him and there was hell to pay. It seemed to be a game that happened frequently between the monster idol and his cat manager.

“Oh, I turned it off a while ago. If he hadn’t already taken the bottom disc off. I think he’ll forgive me though. After I tell him what happened, that is.” True. BP would probably have been a bit more violent if he had seen Koppel. That monster was a black belt. Mettaton finished his smoothie with you finishing yours not long after. The two of you tossed the cups into the trashcan that was no longer you. He reached out and took your hand as your other snatched up your bag with the Love Tuners.

Now that you thought about it, Mettaton was right. If he hadn’t of switched places with BP right then, you weren’t sure what would have happened with Koppel. You shuddered as a sudden thought popped in your mind. What had happened to Koppel after you left him? Better yet, since when did Mettaton’s hand turn into a cannon?! It was scary but at the same time really cool that he could do that. 

You allowed him to lead you down the path with stores lining either side. The two of you window browsed a bit. Some of the clerks noting that you had been in there previously, but you had just shrugged it off. Taking every chance you could, you tried to give the robot your present… only for something to get in the way each time.  
Someone would recognize him and ask for an autograph, clerks would try to get you to try samples, or they would try to get you to buy whatever was on sale for the day. Each of them popping up at the most inopportune time. To the point you hung your head in defeat. You would give the Love Tuners to him later.

 

The two of you wandered the mall aimlessly for a good few hours. Chatting idly and having fun in the shops. It was wonderful. While you walked past a food cart, your stomach let out a loud growling noise. Prompting you to stop in place with Mettaton stopping a few feet ahead of you. An embarrassed blush stretched across your cheeks as you clutched your stomach like you were trying to hide it.

“Oh, darling! I’m so sorry!” The robot closed his eyes for a moment before they opened wide in surprise. “Time sure has flown, hasn’t it? Why don’t we find someplace to eat?” You took the hand that he, once again, offered to you and let him lead you to a rather ritzy looking diner/bakery. 

The Spider Diner.

It was a quaint building that alternated various hues of purple and white. Adorable little spiders decorated the sign with tasteful webs placed in the corners of the store front windows. Overall, the building looked cute. Mettaton held the door open for you, as you walked in. Taking in the immediate wonderful smells of baked goods.

All of the tables were packed with patrons, monsters and humans alike, who all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Farther back, there was a line of secluded booths that were mostly empty. It appeared as though they were reserved. Mettaton headed over to one of the booths beckoning you to follow him. You ignored the stares of the other patrons of the restaurant and followed the robot idol over to the booths. Slipping into one end so that Mettaton could bring up the cloth privacy divider to seclude your booth off from any onlookers. 

Settling into the rather plush seat of the booth, you picked up a menu that was laid out on the table. Glancing over the items, everything on the menu was spider themed. Spider donuts, spider cider, baked cobwebs… what were baked cobwebs? Were they actual webs or…? “Don’t worry, beautiful. I can assure you that everything here is edible and rather delicious.” The robot spoke up after he saw your slightly concerned expression.

“Sorry… some of the things on this menu kind of _bug_ me.” You signed to him after placing the menu down with a smirk. Mettaton just rolled his eyes at you but you saw the start of a smile beginning to form on his lips. “But I could just _eight_ about anything right now.”

“Please stop with the spider puns…” The robot slumped forward into his hand on the table. 

“Ahuhuhuhuhu~ I thought they were rather good, dearie. Sans would be proud.” the cloth divider was pushed aside as a purple spider monster with a clipboard and a pen in two of her arms waltzed in. She held a pitcher of some amber liquid in one of her other arms with the other two holding some cups. “Would you like some spider cider?” 

You looked to Mettaton who nodded his head and you followed with a timid smile. You now understood why this place was spider themed. “You know, Sans?” your hands signed out of curiosity. Even though this monster was dressed in a rather adorable outfit… she gave off this intimidating aura that you couldn’t quite place.

With expert dexterity, the spider woman filled the cups with cider and set them before the two of you. “Who, in the monster community, doesn’t know Sans?” She said with a light hearted chuckle. Once again proving that monsters understood ASL more than most humans you met. “Though I must say, Mettaton. I thought that you would stop by much sooner than this. My business has been up and running for several months now.”

“Sorry, darling. I was waiting to bring this lovely lady with me and things just kept happening.” He states with a playful wink in your direction. Now it was your turn to roll your eyes at him. ‘Things just kept happening’ was putting it mildly. “Anyway, Muffet. This is (y/n). My little Songbird this is Muffet.”

Taking one of the two free hands she had, you shook the spider monster’s hand with a bright smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“Ahuhuhu. You as well, dearie.” Muffet’s fangs showed when she smiled at you and you try not to look unnerved by it. “Are the two of you ready to order?” Mettaton cuts in before you can sign anything and lists off a few items on the menu, as well as a couple things that weren’t. Muffet nodded her head while she wrote the order out. “Alright, I’ll have it done in a few minutes~ If you need a refill just ask the spiders.” Waltzing out just as elegantly as she had entered.

Your eyes lit up in delight as you took a sip of the spider cider that Muffet had placed in front of you a few moments before. The flavor spreading across your tongue like a warm breeze on a brisk fall day. Apples, cinnamon…. Why was everything made by monsters delicious? If they all cooked like this then human chefs were going to have a problem in their careers. 

“Despite that little… altercation earlier, today has been a lot of fun. I’m glad that I finally got to bring you here.” Mettaton’s voice said, rising over the pleasant background music that Muffet’s diner was playing. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun in an outing.” Sliding his drink to the side, Mettaton places both of his elbows on the table and puts his head in his hands. His entire body leaning forward in a relaxed position. “Though I must ask. Alphys said that you were supposed to be doing tests all day. What were the three of you doing at the mall?” Mettaton’s eyebrow was arched with a sly smirk on his face. Like he had just caught you doing something that you shouldn’t have been doing. Though it was true. Alphys had called in and you shouldn’t have been out and about. You were caught red handed. In the best way.

He was trying to playfully intimidate you and it wasn’t going to work. What was intimidating was that he had set you up to finally give him the gift without any disturbances. Now was your chance. Leaning forward as well, you reached into the bag and pulled out the small wrapped box within. Carefully sliding it across the table until it was right in front of Mettaton’s face but a few inches away from his elbows.

Surprised, he blinks a couple of times before looking down at the nicely wrapped box. “What’s this, gorgeous?”

“You have done so much for me… I felt that I should get you something. It just took me awhile to wrap my head around an idea of something for you.” Your hands signed while you eyed the cup of cider as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. This was a bad idea, wasn’t it? He wasn’t going to like them, then you were going to have to return them. But it’s music themed. He would like it… right? Those thoughts swirled in your mind and it was all you could do to keep a shy smile on your face and not have it dissolve into a look of minor despair.

“Well, well, well~ how could I not accept? This is such a wonderful surprise, though I should be thanking you instead.” Mettaton said with a deep genuine warmth in his voice. The look of surprise morphed into something calmer. He settled back in his seat while plucking the small package off the table. With a gentleness that most wouldn’t think a robot body could have, Mettaton unwrapped the gift without tearing any of the paper. He set it off to the side, then slid the lid off to reveal the Love Tuners. “Oh my! These are adorable! But what are they?” the robot asked as he pulled one of the two out and held it up to the light for a better look.”

“They are called Love Tuners” You signed, then reached for the other that was still in the box. Hoping that he would look down at the slip of paper that the flutes were hiding moments before. “They are one tone flutes set to 528 Hertz. Also known as the love frequency. It’s supposed to help one calm down when they are stressed by focusing on ones breathing and sound.”

Mettaton’s face lit up at your words and he promptly put his on and you mirrored him with yours. “Oh, sweetheart, that is so cool! Yet… why are they in a pai-” He stopped when he looked down and saw the little slip of paper in the velvet box.

**_Will you be my Mettabae?_ **

Feeling even more nervous now that he saw it, you squirmed uncomfortably in your seat. Your eyes going back to eyeing your cider. “They are a pair because couples give one to each other to remind their significant other that even though they aren’t there right then, they are there to support them whenever. Just blow into the flute.”

“Is this all because of the question you asked before I took you to the hospital that one day?” He asked and you are unsure of his expression because you are too nervous to look him in the eye.

Instead, you nodded your head while still looking at the table. “Ye-” your hands began to sign when a gentle hand slid under your chin and lifts your face so that you are looking directly into Mettaton’s eyes. 

He had quietly slid to your end of the booth until he was right next to you. “I was afraid you didn’t hear me at the time but I’m more than happy to repeat it again.” Mettaton lowered his face until his lips were just centimeters away from yours. Pausing just before they met to say one word.

“Yes.”


	54. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this has to be my favorite chapter. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time I wrote it and I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I did writing it.

The darkened room lit up as you received a message on your phone. Its vibrations pulsed through the leather couch that you were currently lying on. You, lazily, stretched your arm up to pluck the phone off the arm of the couch. Your body refusing to move from its relaxed comfortable position. Bringing the phone to your face, you unlocked it as your eyes adjusted to the sudden change in brightness. The light blinding you for a few moments. A text message alert was flashing at you. Without even reading who it was from, you opened it.

**Alphys 1:05 am  
Um… Sorry if I’m intruding but we never heard back from you after we led the crowd away. Are you okay?**

Whoops. After escaping the crowd and going to the Spider Diner, Alphys and Undyne had been the furthest thought from your mind. Mettaton had been right. Everything at Muffet’s was delicious. So much so that you bought extras to bring home... which were now in the robot star’s refrigerator.

Looking up from your phone, you looked behind you at the rather large robot who was currently asleep. The flickering light of the current show on the huge TV not bothering him in the slightest. He had one arm wrapped around the pillow that you two shared with the other draped languidly across your stomach. The fear of him rolling over and crushing you with his extremely heavy, metal body completely nonexistent.

Flipping your phone around and holding it aloft, you angled it so that you could get both yourself and Mettaton in frame before snapping a photo when the TV was at its brightest. You took a couple more before picking the best one. Sending it to Alphys with the caption ‘What do you think?’

Man were you glad that you had set your phone to vibrate earlier. Glancing back at the robot, he continued on in his deep slumber. Had the sound been turned on, the camera shutter noise going off might have woken him up. That was something that you didn’t want to happen.

You weren’t sure as to what happened earlier in the day for Mettaton but by the time you both had returned to his penthouse, towards the end of your impromptu date, he was ragged. The poor guy tried to play it off but you could tell from his usual demeanor that the guy was tired. You had put the food in the fridge, got him to sit on the couch and set it up so his body could start charging, turned on the TV to a random movie channel, then settled on the couch next to him for a quiet movie night. Though you weren’t sure how you got into the current position you were in. Regardless, you weren’t about to complain.

Leaning backwards a bit, your back pressed gently against Mettaton’s front. You would think that, with all the metal, your body would be poked at by the chest plate and the like. That wasn’t the case. It wasn’t uncomfortable. His body was a bit unforgiving but at the same time he had molded himself perfectly so that you were completely at ease. Lolling your head back, you could hear the fans whirring in his chest. The metal pleasantly warm and not cold like you had expected it to be. You closed your eyes and let out a silent content sigh. This was nice.

Your phone vibrating in your hand had you, begrudgingly, opening your eyes to read whatever Alphys had sent you. It was a seven part text of incomprehensible gibberish until the very last part.

**Alphys 1:15 am  
OMG! HE SFSDF SAID YES?!**

**Undyne 1:15 am  
TOLD YA, PUNK! PAY UP!**

**Alphys must have shown the photo, you had sent, to her girlfriend. You couldn’t help but silently chuckle at your friends’ enthusiasm. You could just imagine Alphys groaning and handing Undyne the amount of money or whatever it was that she had lost in that bet. Speaking of those winnings…**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Shouldn’t I be getting a portion of that win? After all, you won because of me.**

**Alphys 1:16 am  
I-I don’t think you want that.**

**Undyne 1:16 am  
Hey now! She might. You never know. I’m fine with sharing if you are, babe. ;)**

**Alphys 1:16 am  
Omg **

Cocking an eyebrow in amusement but also slight confusion, you were about to type a response when Undyne sent you a picture separate of the group text chat that the three of you were in. Opening it out of curiosity, a huge blush shot across your face when you saw it. Wow. Just. Wow. You never wanted to see two strangers doing something like that let alone two close friends. Not just that but you were pretty sure you never wanted to see so much of your friends. This was too much. Too much! Waaaaaaaaay too much! Why the hell did Undyne have a picture like that on her phone?

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
YOU GO AHEAD. I’M GOOD!**

**Undyne 1:17 am  
Bahahahahah, you sure?**

**Alphys 1:17 am  
Undyne, wut did u do?**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
YEP. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THAT.**

**Alphys 1:18 am  
Wait.**

**Alphys 1:18 am  
Undyne.**

**Alphys 1:18 am  
You didn’t send that one picture… did you?**

**Undyne 1:19 am  
Annnnnnd what if I did?**

**Alphys 1:19 am  
OMG! I TOLD YOU TO DELETE THAT!**

**Undyne 1:20am  
Why would I delete it? It’s an awesome picture of us! ;)**

**Alphys 1:20 am  
UNDYNE! OMG! (Y/N) DELETE THAT NOW! NOOOOWWW! **

Though you weren’t denying that it was a good picture, your fingers were already flying across the phone so that you could delete that image. It had been hard to do with the text message alerts constantly popping over the option to delete it so you had decided to wait until the barrage of texts ended. The blush was still on your face full force and you were rather glad it was dark in here. You could practically hear Undyne cackling at you from wherever she was. Playfully embarrassing her friends and girlfriend was one of her favorite past times. With this one image, she had wonderfully succeeded at both. You go to hit the final button only for your eyes to go wide. You thought you had been in the options to delete it…

 

Instead, in your rather flustered state, you accidentally sent it to Mettaton.

 

He was one of your top three contacts and it had auto-corrected to his number. Freezing in place as you realized what you had just done, you heard the audible ping of a picture message being received behind you with Mettaton grunting awake at the sound. You kept your eyes glued to your phone as you slowly typed out the news.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Um. I’m so sorry.**

**Alphys 1:23 am  
Why?**

**Alphys 1:23 am  
WHY ARE YOU SORRY?!**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
I maaaayy have accidentally sent it to Mettaton.**

**Alphys 1:24 am  
OMG!**

**Undyne 1:24 am  
LOL**

***MTT has been added by Alphys**

**Alphys 1:25 am  
LOOK OVER HERE! DON’T LOOK AT THAT PICTURE!**

**Alphys 1:25 am  
OMG! LOOK AT ALL THE TEXTS OVER HERE!**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Nice attempt at a distraction.**

**Undyne 1:25 am  
This is great. XD **

You remained frozen in your spot as you heard Mettaton mumble a “What the hell?” out behind you and his arm around your midsection tightened while he readjusted himself. Maybe if you stayed still he would think you were asleep or a really good replica statue of yourself. Hopefully. Maybe. Nope. You felt the robot gently nudge your side but you refused to turn around. There was no way in hell that you were ready to face him. Realizing that you weren’t going to respond to him in person, the robot idol did the next best thing.

**Mettabae 1:27 am  
…Songbird…**

**Mettabae 1:27 am  
Why did you send me that picture? Better yet, where the hell did you get that?**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
*points at Undyne* she made me**

**Undyne 1:27 am  
I DID NOT!**

**Alphys 1:28 am  
DELETE THAT AWFUL THING!**

**Undyne 1:28 am  
Hey now. Like I said, it’s an awesome picture of us.**

**Mettabae 1:28 am  
Though I will admit it is a good photo… why do you have it, Songbird? Also, I’m right behind you. Why can’t you just talk to me?**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Because I can’t face you right now. I’m soooooo sorry.**

**Alphys 1:28 am  
YOU CAN’T FACE HIM?!**

**Undyne 1:29 am  
OMG! I can’t breathe. I’m laughing so hard I’m going to turn to dust.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Go dunk your head in a fish bowl.**

**Mettabae 1:29 am  
Come on, this is silly. Lemme just turn you around~**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
NODONTLOOKATME**

You hit the send button too soon as you felt the arm that Mettaton had around your stomach move up so that he could effortlessly flip you over. Now you were lying on your back, on the couch, with Mettaton beside you. His head propped up with the arm that had been under the pillow. The love tuner dangling from his neck. An amused expression gracing his tired features. The blush was still on yours and now he could see it. In an attempt to hide, you clutched your phone to your chest and buried your face into his pink chest plate.

“Awww… there isn’t any need to hide. You’re cute when you’re all embarrassed~.” Mettaton spoke in a sultry but playful singsong voice. His free hand playfully poking a trail down your shoulder to your side then back up again. You shook your head refusing to give in. “Songbird~ Soonnnnnnngggbiiirrrdddd~” He leaned his head down so that he was whispering in your ear. Still using the singsong in his voice as he did.

Shaking your head fervently, you earned yourself a chuckle from the robot. Mettaton leaned back. “Well… If this gets you riled up…” You, suddenly, felt the couch shift and looked up to see Mettaton’s face inches away from yours. “I can think of some similar ways that we could imitate that photo~”

Your face became beet red as you quickly pushed him away only to fall off the couch. Because Mettaton was a robot. His body wasn’t going anywhere unless he wanted to play along. However, yours was made of fleshy bits. You never had a chance.

“Oh, hey! Look! The Songbird has come out of hiding.” Mettaton looked at you from the leather couch with mirth filling every spot on his face. All of the sultry flirting long gone. He propped his head up on both of his hands while you glared at him from the floor.

“Not funny.” You signed up to him. The flirt game was still going strong and he had really gotten you good for the last time you had gotten him. To be honest, with everything that had happened with Koppel and your heart, you had forgotten this was a silly thing that the two of you did. Mettaton hadn’t. You were really going to have to up your game in order to get him back after this one.

“You’re right, sweetheart. It wasn’t funny. Hilarious is a much better word.” You rolled your eyes as he said it but that didn’t stop the hint of a smile start to form on your lips. Picking up your phone that had journeyed to the space between the coffee table and the couch with you, you popped up the group chat you were in.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Undyne, I blame you for this.**

**Undyne 1:35 am  
What’d I do???**

**Mettabae 1:36 am  
Aannnnnd the Songbird is hiding, once again. Guess I’ll have to flush her out again. **

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Oh god…**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
SAVE ME ALPHYS!**

You didn’t see what she said because you were looking in the direction of an evil laugh that popped up not long after you sent that. From your position on the floor, you could see the playfully menacing grin of Mettaton as he leaned over the gap. Using the coffee table so that he didn’t fall over on top of you. “Oh Songbird~ Where did you go~?” His voice was sweet sounding but you could see him challenging you to try to run in his eyes. You looked into his with your defiant ones.

Challenge accepted.

Quickly, you rolled under the coffee table before he had a chance to trap you completely. Using the table as a type of barrier, you evaded his hand that went to reach under it and rolled out the other side. Springing up onto your feet at the first given opportunity. Mettaton started to straighten into a standing position from trying to get you under the table but you didn’t give him a chance. You bolted towards the kitchen and ducked under the counter that was more like a table that had a gap under it. Pressing your back against the wooden underside you stilled your breathing so that you could better hear the robot.

Your phone vibrated and you mentally cursed yourself for forgetting to put it on silent. There was no way that Mettaton hadn’t heard it. His hearing sensors were off the scale when he was awake. You waited before attempting to look at the messages. Listening to see if the robot was going to take the bait or not. After a few moments of silence, you looked to your phone.

**Alphys 1:37 am  
What?1 Whats going on?!**

**Undyne 1:37 am  
Why do you need saving?**

Below those texts was a picture message from Mettaton that had you freeze in place like earlier. It was a selfie of him in the bottom left corner with you just under the kitchen counter a bit away in the right corner. Charging cord no longer attached to the robot. The picture had the words “Lost little songbird, where did you go?”

He had quoted the title of your song in the caption. He was definitely having fun with this little game. Then again, so were you. It had been a long time since your heart beat like this in your chest without it meaning something bad. Still… When had he gotten into the kitchen? You hadn’t heard anything! Either you were going deaf or Mettaton could be a lot quieter than you thought he could be. Determined not to lose this silly game of cat and mouse just yet, you scrambled out from under the counter into the small hallway that it leads out too. Darting right, you head into the one room that you know he will have trouble finding you in.

His walk-in closet.

Without turning on the lights to his bedroom or the closet, you somehow managed to get in there quickly and with minimal sound. Even in the darkness, you could feel the vastness of the closet. It wasn’t until you met Mettaton that you knew someone with a walk in closet and even then… this one was ridiculous. This could have easily been a bedroom. You carefully picked your way over the custom made shoes to about midway into the closet. Going all the way to the back would have been the obvious choice. If you went in there, you would be completely cornered. Hiding midway gave you the opportunity to evade around the robot if need be.

You moved behind one of the long racks of clothes pushing something kind of sparkly with a feather boa out of your face so you wouldn’t sneeze and give away your position. Taking extra care, you moved the clothes back into their previous positions, making sure that they didn’t sway on the rack afterwards by holding them for a few seconds. 

Now you wait.

Turning on your phone, you finally had a chance to look at the messages under the picture.

**Undyne 1:40 am  
Awwww, you two punks are playing hide and seek.**

**Alphys 1:40 am  
That’s so kawaii!**

**Undyne 1:41 am  
I think I’m ready to claim my winnings from the bet now.**

**Alphys 1:41 am  
OMG! UNDYNE PLEASE STOP!**

The messages stopped there but there hadn’t been that much time since the last one was posted. You still had a chance. There was a slim chance of you being able to win this.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Alphys**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
ALPHYS!**

**Alphys 1:50 am  
I’m here! What’s up?**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Help me. I can’t handle him on my own.**

**Undyne 1:51 am  
That’s what she said.**

**Alphys 1:51 am  
Bad. Undyne. Bad.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
I’m only giving it to her because technically it’s true.**

**Mettabae 1:52 am  
Some people do have trouble handling me but it’s a curse I have always had.**

**Mettabae 1:52 am  
All playful joking aside, it is late and I would like to head to bed. So if you don’t surrender yourself within the next 5 minutes, I’ll eat all of the stuff you bought from Muffet’s today.**

**Undyne 1:53 am  
Ooooooo MTT straight for the kill.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
You wouldn’t dare.**

**Mettabae 1:53 am  
Oh, wouldn’t I? **

Another picture message was sent and you wondered how Mettaton was actually taking selfies when his cellphone was internal. Just another thing that you would have to ask him the next chance you got. Tapping the screen to open the picture, you silently gasped at the sight. Mettaton had taken all of the stuff you had bought and lined it up on the kitchen counter. He held a spider donut in his hand as he dangled it right above his mouth in a suggestive manner. With the caption “Challenge accepted” at the very bottom. 

He wasn’t going to back down and you knew it. This was one game you weren’t going to win unless you wanted to sacrifice all of the delicious treats you had just bought. Wow, Mettaton could play dirty when he wanted too. Your brow furrowed as you thought. If you stayed hidden you would be preserving a small amount of pride but at the same time… food. You let out a silent sigh at that last thought. Your decision had been made for you the moment Mettaton had taken that picture with the donut.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
No! Stop! My babies! I surrender!**

**Undyne 1:57 am  
Lmao**

**Alphys 1:57 am  
You made the right choice.**

Tucking your phone into your pocket, you made your way back to the kitchen with your head held low. You rounded the corner and glared at a certain robot who was looking way to smug right now. “That was dirty.” You signed to him without taking your eyes off of the robot star.

He gave you a shrug as he began to put your stuff back into the fridge. “All is fair in love, war, and beauty sleep, my dear.” Mettaton said with a chuckle at the end. Even though you knew he was joking, he did have a good point. It was really late and you were tired. Unlike him, you had been awake the entire time watching a few of the movies that had aired. Letting a yawn escape your lips, you waited in the hallway for Mettaton to grab his charging stuff before the two of you made your way to his bedroom.

Taking a running sprint from the doorway, you launched yourself at Mettaton’s huge plush bed. Your body landing almost center and bouncing off to the side from the force. The nicely made bed now destroyed by the fact that whenever you saw this huge bed… you had to jump on it. It would be an insult if you hadn’t. You weren’t sure who exactly would be insulted but you could probably find out if you tried.

Mettaton sat down on the floor next to the bed and shut his eyes after hooking himself up to the nearby wall outlet as you eyed him curiously. You rolled towards him and flicked a few strands of hair on his head until he opened his eye to look at you again. “Something wrong, Darling?”

“Why are you on the floor?” you signed down to him with a curious eyebrow raised.

“Well, the lady always gets the bed.” He said with a distinct yawn at the end. 

You stuck your tongue at him. “You didn’t have any problems cuddling with me on the couch. Why can’t we do it here?” Watching as he mulled it over, you also let out a yawn. When he still seemed hesitant you shrugged before signing“Oh well. More blanket for me.” At that, you rolled to the center of the bed and snaked your way under the comforter with your back to the robot. A gentle prodding on your side rousing you to look over your shoulder.

“Scooch over you, bed hog.” Mettaton gently laid behind you like he did before. Wrapping an arm around your waist and the other under the pillow. “Good night, Songbird.”

Twisting back just enough so that he could see you sign, you gave him a tired mischievous grin. “Don’t you mean good morning?”

Mettaton groaned into the pillow with the hand that was originally around your waist moving up to push your hands down. “No. Bad Songbird. It’s dark which means night and night means sleep.” You silently chuckled next to him as you got comfortable. Snuggling your back up against his chest. His arm moved back to your waist and you lifted the love tuner that you had bought for yourself to your lips. Playing 2 soft notes. “Good night, Sweetheart.” His deepened voice said as he began to drift off to sleep.

You closed your eyes and let the combination of the fans in his chest and the wind outside lull you to sleep.


	55. Chapter 36

Several mirrors lined the walls of the room. Each of them holding a reverse image of yourself. You even counted the floor as a mirror because it was so shiny that you could see your reflection in it. A violin case was propped up against the bench next to your legs. It wasn’t yours and you weren’t sure why it was here. Currently, you sat on a bench that was near the back wall wearing clothes that you could ‘work up a sweat in’ as Mettaton had stated in his text that you had received this morning. Said robot was now standing before you with a proud smile on his face. There was a pink sweatband on each of his wrists with an even bigger one on his head. An elegant MTT embroidered onto it.

You were pretty sure that he couldn’t actually sweat but you weren’t about to rain on his parade. “So….” You began to sign while eyeing Mettaton’s bright smile warily. “What are we up to today?”

“Today…” He bowed low towards you, “we DANCE!” Mettaton’s bowed body shot up with his hand reaching towards the ceiling. You raised an eyebrow at his over dramatic antics and waited for him to continue. “It has taken me a while but I have finally figured out the choreography for the song that we are to perform together on stage.”

“I’m dancing?!” Your eyes went wide and the robot nodded his head in a serious manner.

“Of course, darling~” Mettaton reached down and patted you reassuringly on the head. “I know that you will be playing the violin. I made your movements a lot simpler so you won’t trip yourself up or have to think so much about them. That way they won’t be a distraction.”

The pit of dread that had started to form dissipated a little bit. Playing the violin was something you could easily do sitting or standing. You weren’t the worst dancer in the world either but, at the same time, you weren’t the best. Other than swaying your hips to the beat, you never really danced WHILE playing the violin. Dancing professionally was hard on its own, not including keeping in time with a musical instrument. You weren’t Lindsey Stirling. “Are you sure…?” You were still very skeptical if you could pull it off before the concert that was still a few months away.

Once again, the robot nodded. “Absolutely, beautiful! I know you can do it. Though if something is too hard, we can always change it up. Nothing is set in stone after all. Now today, I was hoping to go through the first block of moves with you.” He gestured to the large chart that was on the wall behind you. It was split off in a square grid. Each box had a number in it, corresponding to the day of the week and month. It had your practice times with Mettaton all the way up to the day of the concert. Everything perfectly planned out.

You move to stand up but Mettaton gently pushed your shoulder so that you were sitting back on the bench. “I’m supposed to dance with you…?” you looked up at him confused at his actions.

“I can’t have you attempting the moves without seeing them demonstrated first. Oh _Kobi~_ ” the robot called out in a much too sweet, singsong, voice. 

The door to the dance studio was slammed open with BP standing in the doorway in a tank top and sweatpants. “I’m amazed that you actually remembered my real first name.” The orange cat monster glowered at the robot.

“I know all of my employees’ names, Darling.” Mettaton stated with a nonchalant shrug. You, on the other hand, did not.

“ _Kobi_.” You signed to the orange monster whose glower lightened up a bit as he noticed your presence in the room. “Your first name is Kobi?”

“Yes.” The cat monster just looked at you with a slightly amused look.

“That is a hell of a lot better than Burgerpants! Why did you tell me your name was Burgerpants?” you were standing up as you signed while the brief moment of shock settled down.

“Because that is what everyone calls me, anyway. It has grown so much that I pretty much consider it my first name now.” The cat monster stretched as he spoke. His long tail swaying to an unknown beat behind him. When he notices your slightly annoyed look, he just gives you a shrug. “What? You know it now but I can guarantee you, that if you address me as ‘Kobi’ to anyone outside this room, they won’t have any idea who you are referring too. I have accepted my fate a long time ago.”

“That’s the spirit!” Mettaton clapped BP on the shoulder heartily. The bright grin still on the robot’s face while the glower returned full force on BP’s.

The cat headed over to the violin case that was propped on the bench, next to your leg, and pulled out a pretty beat up violin. The finish had scratches… and was that a dent? “Let’s just get this fiasco over with.”

“Wait, what?” You looked up at the two monsters slightly confused.

“This is a duet, sweetheart.” Mettaton said while gesturing to BP. “I needed someone to practice the choreography with, in order to figure it out.”

“You had to learn it first…?” Your eyes were on BP and the cat monster begrudgingly nodded.

“Whenever Metta needs something like this, I’m his practice partner. Something about my ‘elegant cat reflexes’.” BP said while doing air quotes before shouldering the violin as though he was about to play it.

The robot nodded his head. “And I still stand by what I said. You haven’t failed me yet. Now! Enough chit chat. Let’s demonstrate the whole song from the top!” Mettaton moved to his position while BP moved to his with a rather noticeable groan. You offered the cat monster an encouragingly apologetic smile. Next chance you got, you had to persuade Mettaton to give BP an awesome vacation. The poor guy deserved it for putting up with the robot star’s whims like this. Mettaton clapped his hands and the lights dimmed with the music beginning to play.

They moved in practiced… precise… tandem. It was obvious from the moment that they performed the song through the first time that Mettaton and BP had been practicing this dance for quite a while. Their movements were so fluid. It was as though it was natural. Like this is what they normally did and didn’t think anything of it.

You watched in transfixed silence. Not wanting to break the magical atmosphere before you. The music faded out with the two monsters in the final pose of the song that they had performed for the second time. Somehow, BP wasn’t winded at all. It was obvious why Mettaton wouldn’t be.  
The lights brightened back into their normal glow and the two monsters straightened into a more relaxed standing position. “So Songbird… what do you think?” Mettaton’s voice broke you out of the trance as he eyed you with an expectant look.

“There is no way that I can do that… It’s too amazing.” You signed with complete certainty.

“Au contraire, my little Songbird. With enough practice, you will be able to do your part just fine.” Mettaton motioned and BP moved back to his starting position. “Now I’m going to teach you the first 5 movements of the song with BP demonstrating what your moves are. We’ll do the full motion at full speed first, then break it apart step by step.”

 

After about a good half hour of Mettaton breaking down the movements into the smallest steps he could possibly make, you shakily stood up from the bench and moved to the center of the room. He wasn’t trying to insult your intelligence. The robot just wanted you to be able to understand as best you could. Mirroring the starting form of BP that he was currently in without the violin. BP had offered but you figured you should attempt the moves without it first. You didn’t want to bang up that poor instrument any more than it already was.

However… You were nervous. They made it look easy. WAY to easy. There was no way that you were going to be able to pull this off AND play the violin at the same time. But… you weren’t about to give up without trying at least once. The music started to play and you rose from the starting position into the first move and immediately missed the first beat. Which led you into missing the next one and then the next one. In an attempt to save it, you ended the horrid start with an unnecessary twirl and a bow to the two monsters. If you were going to screw up horribly (which you did), might as well make it look awesome.

BP snickered at your ending finesse. “We should include that.”

“I do like the attitude you put into that ending portion but I think I will have to politely say no.” Mettaton gently shook his head at the two of you but you could see the smile on his face. The robot walked over to where you stood. “That was a pretty good first attempt. Now let’s try the movements without the music at half the speed.” Nodding your head, you moved into the starting form. “Start!”

You sprung to life and did the first movement at a much slower pace than before. Since you had more time to think about what you were doing, you managed to actually get it in time. Which surprised you a bit. Not even bothering with the other four movements, you looked at Mettaton excitedly. “I did it!”

The extremely proud look that the robot had on his face didn’t escape you. “I knew you could. Now! Go ahead and do the other four.”

Feeling a surge in confidence, you go through the motions. Only managing to mess up about twice. Once done, you dropped back into the starting form at Mettaton’s prompting and started over.

Only this time, it wasn’t so good.

Not realizing how close you had gotten to the robot, you slipped on the shiny floor. Catching yourself by thrusting your foot out and accidentally slamming it hard onto Mettaton’s pink heeled one. Knowing how much power you had used, you winced before slowly looking up at the robot monster with an apologetic look on your face. “Are you… Are you okay..?” You signed slowly.

Mettaton looked at BP, sharing an amused look that turned into a small fit of laughter. It took the ghost robot a few moments to recover. “Gorgeous…” He held a hand out to you so that you could pull yourself up. “You do remember that my body is made out of metal, right?”

Oh.

Right.

That was a thing.

Slowly rising after taking the robot’s hand, you eyed the floor in embarrassment. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Mettaton was a ghost inhabiting an android-like body. When you think of robots, they are rigid, talk in a digital voice pattern with no emotion, and the like. They don’t have feelings, emotions, and personalities. They aren’t… full of life. Which is something that Mettaton had radiating off of him at all times. You continued to eye the floor as you lightly hit his chest plate with a mock punch. “Sometimes I forget. It happens!”

“Awww... You’re right, Mettaton. She is cute when she’s embarrassed.” BP’s slightly gruff voice cut in, in a teasing manner. You looked up to see the cat monster standing directly in front of you with a smirk on his face.

“Shut up, _Kobi_.” You signed while looking him in the eye.

“Ooooo~ she just used your real first name.” Mettaton held a hand over his mouth as BP took a few steps back. Fake fear taking over his features.

BP looked to the robot idol then back to you only to go back to the robot. “I know, man! I’m in it deep now.”

You rolled your eyes at the two monsters. “Haha. Very funny. You better learn to fear it, Kobi.” A mischievous grin spread across your face as you thought of ways to prank the cat monster. For a couple you may need to enlist Sans for help. He could never say no for an opportunity to prank someone.

Your expression must have darkened the more you thought because BP took a few more steps back from actual fear. “Oh, man. I really am in deep.” 

“That you are.” You signed to the cat monster. “Better make it up to me by teaching me these moves.”

He quickly takes on a serious expression while bringing a hand up to his forehead to salute you. “Yes, Ma’am.” You moved back into the beginning formation and started over from the top. This time Mettaton or BP would pause you when you made an error and fix your stance accordingly.

Repeating the same 5 moves over and over was a bit dull. Not only that but you were constantly being corrected. Yet after about 15 minutes you were keeping on beat with the music without a single mistake. You do it one more time to prove more to yourself that you had managed to actually learn it than to show off. When your foot landed on the final spot, you whirled around on the two monsters with a bright smile beaming on your face. Mettaton clapped. “See? I told you, you could do it, darling~”

BP was nodding his head approvingly. “You are picking it up pretty quick. If you keep this up you could be his practice partner instead of me.” He brought his orange paws together as if he was saying a prayer.

You rolled your eyes and playfully elbowed the cat monster in the side. He didn’t move out of the way when you knew he easily could have. It wouldn’t be the first time he would have dodged out of the way when you were trying to mess with him. “I may be dating Mettaton but I would never get in the way of your bromance.”

“BROMANCE?!” BP was looking at you incredulously as Mettaton let out an uncharacteristic snort. The robot was hunched over with tears starting to form in his eyes trying to contain the laughter that wanted to escape. “Oooooooh no. There is no bromance here. Nope. Nada. Noooone. Wait…” The cat monster’s ears twitched so one was up and the other was down. “You two are dating?” He crossed his arms so that one orange paw was pointing to you and the other at the robot star.

“Officially, as of three nights ago.” Mettaton said once he had recovered a bit from BP’s reaction. “Though, technically, it should be months but it isn’t dating if only one of the two know about it.”

“Eh?” BP looked between the two of you slightly confused.

“Irrelevant now but we are dating though.” You signed while shrugging off the cat monster’s stare. 

“Well, congrats. Though I can say that I saw it coming. Along with anyone else that was paying attention to you two.” BP’s voice still sounded a little surprise but you could see the ‘shipping’ look, as Alphys calls it, on his face. “Better look out for the bunny guards. If they get wind of this, they’ll never leave you alone.”

A warmth spread through your body at his words. Now not only do Alphys and Undyne approve but another one of your friends as well. He was right though. If any of the bunny brothers got a hold of this information the teasing would never end. However, that was then and this is now. You were feeling pretty confident now that you could manage the movements in time with the beat. “Thank you. Now… Kobi. I think I’m ready.” Once you finished signing, you gestured to the beaten up violin that had been benched, literally, until you felt that you could use it.

The smirk returned to the cat monster’s face at the use of his first name and the serious expression on your features. “Are you sure, Songbird?” BP said with his arms crossed in a serious manner equal to your expression. “This is a big step up. Can you handle the responsibility?”

Your eyebrows narrowed playfully at the challenge. “I’ve got this.” You held out your hands at the end as BP moved to grab the violin and headed back over to you.

“Then… I present this instrument to you, milady.” In one fluid motion, BP knelt down on one knee while holding the violin aloft like it was some kind of precious artifact.

“And everyone says that I’M overly dramatic.” Mettaton’s suave voice cut in as you took the violin from BP and positioned it as though you were going to play it. Moving into position, you stuck your tongue at Mettaton and dragged the bow across the strings. A horrible scratching sound emitting from the instrument due to lack of rosin and tuning. It was so bad that you had to suppress a shudder. This poor thing needed a lot of TLC. “If you keep that sticking out, I’m taking it as an offer to bite it.” The robot said with a look that meant business.

“T...M...I…” BP called to Mettaton from his position not too far away while a bright blush made its way onto your face. The robot just shrugged at his manager, completely unfazed. You, on the other hand, needed to take a moment to recover from that blatant flirting. “See? Look you broke the human!”

Mettaton rolled his eyes at the cat monster. “I did not.”

“Yep. I may have blown a _fuse_. But you know me. I have a _short circuit_ anyway.” Your hands signed after you moved the instrument into a better position so that you could do so. They weren’t the best puns you have ever made but they worked for this moment in time. Though Mettaton’s point was made and you stopped sticking your tongue at the robot. For now. You definitely needed to enlist Sans to help you get back at him though. The robot idol was going 2-0 on the flirt game you two played. Maybe get BP while you were at it.

The more the merrier, right?

“Really?” Mettaton rubbed his temple at your puns but you weren’t done there.

“Hey. You knew I was _wired_ differently when you met me.” You were now smirking at the robot as you got a snort out of BP behind you.

“Wow, those are bad.” the cat monster had a hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide the smile that was behind it. “Are you seriously making electricity technician puns?”

You arched an eyebrow at BP with the smirk still ever present. “ _Shocking_. Isn’t it?”

“Oh for the love of Asgore…” Mettaton groaned out while BP sputtered into laughter at your horrid pun and his boss’s reaction. “No! Bad BP! Don’t enable her.”

“Awww, but I’m all _amped up_ now!” you signed one more pun before moving into the starting position. Mettaton was lightly banging his head into his hand while BP was still recovering. You wait for them to calm down before beginning to practice with the violin. Though you would have to either attempt to get this one into working condition or a spare one so that you could actually start learning to play the song while moving. There was no way that you were going to use the one that Mettaton had gotten you for your birthday until you knew you wouldn’t mess up. That was something you would start worrying about once you got the entire choreography down pat.

 

Things were going much better than you originally anticipated. You were doing so well that you had time to spare and instead of leaving you asked if you could start on the next block of moves early. The three of you worked together for another hour before Mettaton clapped his hands breaking the complete focus that you had been in. “Alright. Let’s do it one more time from the top and let’s take a brief break. I don’t want to go too far with this. You don’t need to learn the entire dance in one practice session.”

You nodded your head at him and moved into the starting position. Ever since you got the first 5 moves down, your confidence soared. So much so that you were excited to just keep going. Though Mettaton was right. You didn’t need to learn the full thing in one go. It was probably best if you didn’t. There had already been a couple opportunities where you had jumped the gun and did a later move sooner and vice versa. You did want to keep going but a break did sound nice.

“Ready? Begin!” Mettaton called off to the side with BP standing next to him. The two monsters only intervening when you made a mistake, which you hadn’t done for a little bit. 

The music began to play and you moved in time to it perfectly. You had begun pretending that you were playing the song so that it might be an easier transition once you get the dance all figured out. Sticking out your heel, you began to do a twirl. The mirror room spinning around you. Your eyes caught the familiar shapes of Mettaton and BP as you spun.

But there was a third shape that wasn’t there before. 

Your eyes went wide as fear spiked through your body. The paranoia that had been following you for the past few months rearing its ugly head. What was that? Who was that? Had it just been your imagination? Were you seeing things? 

It wasn’t your imagination. As you went into the second spin that immediately followed the first, the unfamiliar person was now fully inside the room. The only thing you were able to distinguish was the slouched posture.

Koppel.

You silently shrieked. The violin and bow clattered to the floor as you quickly came to a halt. Your heart leaping in your chest as your entire body went into lock down. Why was there not enough oxygen in here? Why is it hard to breathe? Better yet, why is the room getting smaller? You slumped down to the floor onto your knees as you gulped down shallow breaths. Your hands instinctively went to clutch at your heart as you struggled to calm yourself down.

This shouldn’t be happening again. At least, not so soon. The test results had come back and you were completely fine. No damage or anything. Yet, here you were. Struggling to calm your heart down as you took small quick breaths. Time seemed to slow as seconds feel like they were years. It takes you a lot longer, than you realize, to notice that you were no longer on the floor but being held against a certain robot idol’s chest plate. His arms wrapped firmly but gently around you. A pair of orange hands were stroking through your hair and if you focused a bit you could make out the soothing tones of both Mettaton and BP as they tried to help you as best they could.

There was a third voice that you couldn’t quite make out until you lifted your head up a bit. It was one of the bunny security guards. Hoppity, now that you could see his face. He had one of your hands in his as he followed along with what Mettaton and BP were doing. So he was the unfamiliar shape. The bunny monster had probably come to seek Mettaton or BP out for something and that was it. No Koppel. You hadn’t seen him since Mettaton had threatened him in that alleyway. He wasn’t here. You were safe.

You closed your eyes and focused on their soothing voices. Once your breathing started to regulate, you took the love tuner, which was hanging around your neck, and brought it to your lips. Playing a soft tune that helped you finally calm the erratic beating that was in your chest. You looked up at the three faces of three very worried monsters. Gingerly, you raised your hands and moved so that the three of them could see while giving them a tired smile. “Thanks, guys. I’m fine, now.”

“Like, hell, you are.” BP said as Mettaton stood up with you in his arms and the other two monsters moved into standing positions was well. “Should we call up, Alphys?”

Attempting to keep your head up as the tiredness that usually followed an attack began to set in, you shook your head. “No. This wasn’t as bad as it looked.” You weren’t 100% sure about that but you didn’t want to bother Alphys so soon after having gone through testing just a few days ago.

None of the monsters looked convinced but it was Mettaton who finally broke the silence. “I’ll give Alphys a call later. It’s not as though her life is in danger right now. But I am calling it a day for you and I don’t want to hear you protest.”

After what happened, you weren’t about to protest anything. Instead, you let your head rest against his chest plate. “Aye, aye, captain.” You felt your body shift as Mettaton moved to hold you in a more comfortable position. 

“Let’s get you in bed.” The robot headed out of the dance studio with BP following close behind after he spoke with Hoppity.

It wasn’t long until the three of you were in the elevator, at MTT Resort, heading up to the penthouse. You were trying you hardest not to pass out and the silence dragged on until BP broke it. “Soo… What exactly happened?” His rough voice spoke the question that was no doubt on all three of the monster’s minds.

You let out a tired sigh before groggily raising your hands to speak. “It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“How is it your-” Mettaton began but you brought a finger to his lips to silence him.

“When I did the twirl, I saw an unfamiliar shape by the door. Immediately, I just… reacted.” You paused as you tried to think of the right words to describe why you had acted the way you did. Why your mind had tricked itself into seeing something, or rather someone, that wasn’t there.

The robot let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Due to the fact you have been acting overly paranoid for months, I think it’s safe to say that your mind automatically thought-”

“You thought Hoppity was Koppel?” the cat monster looked at you but with the darkness starting in on your vision it was hard to make out his expression. You nodded your head and you heard BP let out a hiss. “I didn’t know that it was this bad.”

“It’s not your fault, sweetheart. It’s an unfortunate habit that you gained from having to deal with him for so long…” You could hear the regret and a slight bit of anger in Mettaton’s voice. “We’ll just have to work on breaking you out of it is all.”

“Though, I can honestly say that he has been ‘taken care of’.” BP did the air quotes at the end like he had done earlier and you looked at him curiously. Hearing that did make you feel a bit better but at the same time you were worried about what that meant. Before you could ponder to long on it, the elevator dinged and the three of you progressed into the robot idol’s home. Mettaton headed straight for his bedroom and gently laid you down on the plush bed. Making sure that your phone was nearby.

“I’m going to be in the other room, gorgeous. You go ahead and rest up. But if you think you are getting out of seeing Alphys you have another thing coming.” With that said, Mettaton tucked you in and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. “I’ll be checking in on you but if you need anything don’t be afraid to text me.”

You nodded your head as the two monsters made their way out of the room and gently closed the door. Leaving you to your thoughts. Clutching your phone to your chest, you curled up into a ball under the covers. There was no need for that attack. You had been perfectly safe. There was no way that Mettaton or BP would have let anything bad happen to you. Yet, your imagination got the better of you anyway and the attack happened regardless. 

Mettaton was right. This was a learned habit. One you learned so that you could anticipate the stalker’s next move before he made it. A habit that you no longer needed. One that you knew you had to break. If you didn’t… what were you going to do? Live in fear of an unknown entity for the rest of your life? You shuddered at the thought. Your body feeling as though it were made of bricks. Letting out a tired sigh, you vowed to look up ways to beat this paranoia that has taken over your mind as you finally allowed the room to fade to black.


	56. Chapter 37

“M-maybe you should see a therapist. It may help if you have a talk with someone a bit more qualified than u-us…”

 _No_.

Alphys’s words echoed in your mind over and over. Therapist. You didn’t need a therapist. Not yet anyways. Yes, it was bad that you had an attack for pretty much no reason but you haven’t really been given a chance to try and figure out how to get rid of these feelings yourself first. It’s only been a couple of days and you have been fine since. You would have chalked it up to just having a weak heart but ever since the procedure the random attacks have stopped. The only two that you’ve had were because something caused them.

The fact that they were both Koppel related kind of pissed you off.

Why did that man have to come into your life? Everything had been going fantastic until that jerk decided to make you a target. You had good close friends, an awesome job, a boyfriend (well, almost. At the time.), even your heart problems were getting better. Then everything good had to go to an abrupt end when he decided to show up at your house that one day. Slumping forward, you buried your face into your knees. If you could growl you would have in frustration.

You needed to curb this train of thought. Thinking about the main reason why you may have an attack wasn’t going to help your situation at the moment. It may, actually, make it worse. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath and calmed your thoughts. Time to start with the beginning of all this new information. Think through it and develop a strategy. After all, it was just a couple nights ago.

 

Blinking your tired eyes, you woke up alone in Mettaton’s bedroom. Your body heavy from a combination of sleep paralysis and the fact it was still recovering from the attack several hours prior. Rays of light filtered in between the gaps of the black out curtains. The sun already high in the sky. On the nightstand, not too far from your head, was a small tray of fruit with a note attached. Willing your heavy limbs, you moved so that you were in a sitting position. One hand rubbing the sleep from your eyes while the other grabbed the note.

 

**_Morning, beautiful!_ **

**_You were out like a light all night so I’m cancelling our practice session for today. All of the work that I needed to do could be done from home, so I’m in the living room if you would like to join me._ **

**_I didn’t really have anything prepared for breakfast other than fruit. (Since I don’t have to eat. I, normally, just keep things I like around for fun.) You can munch on that or we can order something for you when you are feeling up for it. Entirely up to you, Sweetheart. Though it might be wise to wait until Alphys stops by later._ **

**_Yes, I called her and she is just as worried about what happened as I am. Don’t worry, you won’t have to do any extensive testing but she will be bringing a couple of things so that she can check the status of your Soul and heart. Pending on the results from those, we’ll go from there._ **

**_For now, I want you to relax and just have a mellow day. So don’t stress yourself to much about work or anything. I’m not afraid to sick Sans on you._ **

**_Mettaton <3_ **

 

Just having a relaxing day sounded kind of nice. If it wasn’t for the fact that the robot, obviously, wanted to see you up and about, you were tempted to just roll back over and fall back to sleep. You let out an exhausted sigh before bringing your phone up to your face. Yes, you would join him in the living room but you had a mission to complete first. Using both hands, you brought up the internet on your cellphone. Typing in the phrase “How to beat paranoia” then hitting search.

 

Stopping your brief mental flashback, you drag your hand around your pocket. Pulling out your phone without looking up from your knees, you brought up the website you had saved so that you could go back and read it. Turns out that paranoia wasn’t the correct term. You weren’t schizophrenic. You didn’t have a mental disorder. You were just hypervigilant, easily startled, with a fear of being alone. That and for a while you had a fear of being with others because you were afraid that they would be dragged into this mess with you. Those were all symptoms of a rather mild case of PTSD.

You let out a silent sigh to yourself. Now that you knew what exactly was wrong, you could start dealing with it. Though you weren’t sure if you were going to be able to get rid of it entirely. Not until you were sure that Koppel was done with you for good. 

Fortunately, you haven’t seen the guy since that day at the mall. No photos of you on your doorstep or in your mailbox, no creepy messages on your answering machine, no Koppel popping out of nowhere to harass you. It was as if the man had vanished from the face of the earth. Whatever BP and Mettaton did had worked. This was the longest you have heard or seen the man. Even though you were worried about the method used, you weren’t about to question this nice little gift. While eyeing your phone, a chill ran up your back and you had to suppress a shudder.

Still.

There was this horrible feeling in the back of your mind. The feeling that this wasn’t even close to being over as Mettaton and BP thought it was. Humans were fickle creatures. Some go through life bouncing around and trying various things. Others become so fixated on one thing that they become obsessive. It becomes their life. Koppel was definitely the latter. He had been hell-bent on destroying Mettaton’s successful career and with the human rights protest he worked up, the ex-reporter had gotten close to doing just that.

With everything else that had been going on, you hadn’t had a chance to follow it perfectly but it had been a huge PR fiasco. So much so that one time you stepped out of the building to a bunch of reporters demanding to know why you were working for a monster. So you told them why. That it was your dream job to be a songwriter and you were finally able to do that here. You then went inside and grabbed as many human workers as you could so that they could tell their stories too.

The impromptu sharing session on what happens backstage at MTT studios worked. All of the stories shared were positive and uplifting. Sure, people had bad days or maybe a person they didn’t like working with but that happened everywhere you went. That wasn’t the studio’s fault. That hour or so of human MTT Studios employees sharing their experiences went viral with a huge positive feedback. It worked so well that the next day there wasn’t a single protestor outside of the building when you went to work. 

Because of the positivity that followed, Koppel’s reputation tanked even further than it had before. Even though you could care less about what others thought of Koppel, a victory was a victory. You were just happy that it ended so nicely instead of blowing up to the point courts were involved.

“Do you like these, Darling?”

You nearly jumped out of your skin at the small box of chocolate, sea salt, caramels that had been brought into your line of sight. Lifting your gaze that had been fixated on your phone, you looked up at the robot idol waggling the box of chocolate caramels in front of your face. Taking them from Mettaton, you read the label and shrugged. Regardless, you sat it next to you in the grocery cart that you were currently sitting in. “I don’t know. I’ve never had this brand. You can’t go wrong with salty and sweet though.” Your hands signed to the robot after you put your phone away. That’s right. You were currently grocery shopping with Mettaton. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about those sorts of serious depressing things.

“To true, to true. Also who can say no to chocolate?” the robot practically purred at you as he began to push the cart, with you and the groceries in it, a little further down the aisle. “Anything on your mind? You seemed to be lost in thought, gorgeous.”

“Nothing important.” You shook your head as you signed it. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about those things. The last thing you needed was a picture of Mettaton pushing a sad human around a grocery store in a shopping cart. It didn’t matter that the people didn’t know why you were moping. All it would take was one photo like that and the PR fiasco on human rights would be back in full force.

So you settled yourself into a more comfortable position. Occasionally, you would grab something off the shelf that looked good or you were curious about. When you had gotten home from Mettaton’s, you realized just how low on food you were. That’s what happens when you aren’t home to go shopping. After dance practice today, the robot idol had asked what your plans were and had jumped at the chance when you said you needed to refill your pantry. Now here you were. Being pushed around the grocery store by an international star that just so happened to be your boyfriend. It was safe to say that you could get anything you wanted. There was no way in hell that Mettaton was going to let you pay for anything. There was no point in even attempting to argue it. You’d lose.

Ignoring the countless stares of other shoppers, you went ahead and swiped an entire shelf of ketchup into the cart as Mettaton walked by it. You had 3 full bottles of ketchup in your house a week ago but now they had mysteriously disappeared. There was only one culprit and this time you were going to be prepared. You settled back into the cart while Mettaton raised his eyebrow at you curiously. “A certain someone nicked all of my ketchup. I’m making sure I won’t run out now.”

“Oh lord…” the robot idol just shook his head as he wheeled the cart over to the produce aisle. Ideas sparking in your mind. Time to have a little fun on this kind of dull shopping trip. Now was the perfect opportunity to get back at him. Starting immediately, you looked at the bananas and made a sad face at them. This didn’t go unnoticed by your robot companion. “Hey, hey… what’s wrong, Sweetheart?”

“There was a fight…” you signed before pointing to a bunch of bananas. “Look! They are all bruised! We need to help them!” You reached over and grabbed a hand of bananas. Making sure to point to the bruises that they had before holding then to your chest and hugging them gently. “Don’t worry little bananas… no one can hurt you now…”

You saw Mettaton clap a hand to his mouth to snuff out a laugh that had wanted to escape. “If you wanted bananas all you had to do was say so…” He continued to push you and your tiny caged food mountain along until you motioned to stop so you could look at some more fruit.

Casually, you picked up a melon and examined it. Going overboard by sniffing and tapping it as well as a couple of other silly tests. You then shook your head and offered it to the robot. “I don’t know. What do you think?” When he took it you grabbed another and repeated the process while Mettaton looked at the melon unsure of what to do with it exactly. He may have been above ground about 2 years now, but since he didn’t need to eat, the monster robot’s knowledge on food was limited to the stuff he really liked. You were hoping he would be confused and, fortunately, you had been right. It was time for a little payback.

“What am I supposed to-” you cut Mettaton off by handing him the melon you had just finished ‘testing’. So that now he held one in each hand. “Seriously, what am I doing with these?”

“Do you think they are ripe?” you signed to him with a semiserious expression on your face without explaining just how you are supposed to know they were ripe. Making Mettaton even more confused than he already was.

“Songbird, I don’t know...” he held them up and turned each one in the light before just holding them in front of his chest completely flummoxed. He repeated some of the tests you had done being just as confused as before he had done so. “Do I…” Trying to figure out what he was supposed to do, he squeezed them and you moved away from Mettaton with a shocked look on your face. Trying to look as surprised and aghast as you could. “What? WHAT? Songbird, what did I do?” the robot stood a little straighter as he looked from the melons to you, eyeing you with a very worried expression. Like he was a child that had been caught doing something wrong without realizing it.

“You… You…” Your hands signed as your eyes went from the robot’s worried yet flustered expression to the melons and back. “You _squeezed_ my melons.”

Mettaton blinked. “…What?” A faint blush forming on his synthetic face only for it to darken when it finally hit home as to what you had signed. “Come again…?”

“You _squeezed_ my melons.” You signed again then pointed to the two fruits that he held in each hand.

He followed the line of your pointing finger to the melons and it finally hit him as to what you had been luring him in to do. “Oh my God.” Mettaton just dropped the melons into the cart and leaned over the bar to hide his face in his hands. “You’re going to be the death of me, Sweetheart... I thought... Just… aaaghhh.”

Your shoulders shook from the silent laughter. He fell for it hook, line, and sinker. You weren’t about to let it down either. A certain skeleton was definitely going to hear about this. Looks like you were still in this flirting game after all. Though Mettaton still had a small lead, you were narrowing the gap. It took the robot longer than you thought to regain his composure. You decided to hold off on anymore puns and teasing for until this shopping trip was over. You wanted to mess with him not end up breaking the poor guy.

The rest of the trip went on like normal. Save for the occasional surprised squeal of a shopper or someone coming up to ask for a picture or an autograph. Eventually, you were buried in the tiny food mountain and Mettaton wheeled the cart over to the checkout. Together, you put the groceries onto the belt for the cashier to ring up. This odd feeling of nostalgia washing over you for some reason.

Why did this feel familiar? You go shopping on a normal basis. So why were you feeling like this? As you continued to empty the cart, you wracked your brain until it struck you. This reminded you of the time that you had gone shopping with Toriel. You had very briefly fought about who would pay for the groceries only for you to learn that Mettaton had been extremely generous and helpful to his fellow monsters. So much so that he still gave a certain amount to Toriel and Asgore every other month on the dot.

You hopped out of the cart so that the bagger could put the groceries in without having to maneuver around your body as Mettaton paid just like you had predicted earlier. There was no point in arguing. You weren’t going to win. You would just have to make sure to thank him later. While he pushed the cart, you followed alongside him. But… why was Mettaton still giving money to the Dreemurrs? Toriel hadn’t been lying when she said that they were now well off. It wasn’t long until the curiosity consumed you and you asked him.

“Oh, they aren’t the only ones who I’ve helped out. There are still monsters who… are still struggling in this world because of their appearance or prejudice. I have more than enough so I have no problem giving them a bit of an edge.” The robot star said with a shrug. “As for why I still give to the Dreemurr’s… Well, they won’t admit it out loud but they have done a lot to ensure that monsters get a fair chance up here. Even now, they are still working so that monsters can be considered equal to humans.”

“True… But why give them money?” You weren’t intending to sound mean and you appreciated the thoughtful look that Mettaton put on his face instead of getting offended by what you asked. It was just genuine curiosity. You were glad that the robot idol picked up on that rather than taking it the wrong way.

He wheeled the cart up to the car and opened the trunk. “I know they don’t need the money but… I can only do so much. Sure, I can make appearances and I am often used as an example or role model when it comes to talks of monster-kind integrating with the human race. Yet, to be honest, I think that humans took to me a lot easier because compared to almost everyone else, I’m the most relate-able in appearance.” Mettaton started to put groceries into the trunk of the car and waved you off politely when you tried to help. “Since you know about this, I’m sure Toriel or Asgore told you that I was the first to get a job, right? Well, I didn’t intend for things to be this way. It just happened. But in the beginning, monsters had a little trouble approaching me for help. Even though, I advertised it and willingly offered when I was told about it. Something about being star struck. Things of that nature. I’m not trying to sound egotistical, darling, it’s just what happened. It got even harder when I got popular on the surface.”

“Yes, I know that Toriel and Asgore are well off and I’m not saying I feel obligated to give them money. It’s just… when someone in the monster community needs help, they don’t come to me. Mainly because they probably feel like they can’t. Instead, they go to Asgore or Toriel. Because they were always able to before we were freed.” Mettaton straightened up as he put the last of the groceries in the trunk, slamming it shut with one hand. “So. I give them money to divvy out as they see fit. There have been a couple of times where they have asked me to help financially aid a monster who was struggling because said monster was to intimidated to approach me.”

“As I said before, there is only so much I can do but… this makes it so I can do even more.” As he finished his statement, you looked at him and had to blink several times. This guy… was the total opposite of what people say about him. You continued to blink and Mettaton raised an eyebrow at you curiously. “Gorgeous, are you okay?”

You nodded your head while blinking still. “It’s your light. It’s shining too brightly. I can’t keep up!” Once you finished that, you turned to the side as though you were trying to shield your eyes from the sun or something similar.

The ghost robot chuckled and leaned over so that he could bring your face back around. His lips pressing against yours in a sweet kiss. After a few moments, he hummed in contentedly as he pulled away, ignoring the blush that had made its way onto your face and the fact that your mind seemed to have frozen up. “You don’t need to keep up, beautiful. After all, your light shines much brighter than mine.” He winked at you and your blush darkened even more. “Shall we head back to your place now?”

His words spurred your mind into action. “I doubt that about my light being brighter part but yes. We should probably get home before everything melts.” You moved to sit in the passenger seat while Mettaton hopped into the driver’s. “By the way, when did you get a car?”

“I’ve always had it. Makes it easier to get around without attracting attention but the limo is more fun.” Mettaton turned on the car before putting it in gear. You nodded your head in agreement. Sitting in the back of the limo was a lot of fun. Settling into the seat you let the conversation drift off into a comfortable silence as. Something wrapped around your hand and you looked down to see that Mettaton had interlocked his hand with yours. A soft smile made its way onto your face and you gave his hand a squeeze as he guided the car back to your house.


	57. Christmas Special

_How is this happening?_  
This couldn’t be.  
Yet, there was Santa  
Tied up next to the Christmas tree. 

You blinked several times but the image was still there. Santa Claus. THE Santa Claus. The one, who traveled the world delivering presents to good children, was in the house. It was just like all of the songs, children’s books, and movies portrayed. He was a heavier man in pitch black boots, a bright red suit with white furred cuffs and hat. Or at least… someone who was claiming to be. You blinked several more times in disbelief but he was still there.

Looking up, you eyed the robot idol who you had been sharing Toriel and Asgore’s couch with. The look on Mettaton’s face mirroring your own shocked one. This was not what either of you had expected to see when you decided to go to the Christmas party that the Dreemurrs held.

Ever since the monsters had learned of the similar tradition of giving gifts, Santa, and the like, to their own version, they held their own parties above ground. Papyrus had happily explained to you, when he gave you and Mettaton your invitations, that instead of being in their own houses, they all went to the Dreemurr residence to celebrate together as one big family. Needless to say, you didn’t hesitate in accepting. 

When Christmas Eve came about, you and Mettaton were one of the first guests to arrive. All of your closest friends showed up not long after. Undyne, Alphys, Sans, Papyrus, and even BP stopped by for a small bit. As the party wound down, Toriel had put Frisk to bed with her and Asgore turning in not long after. Santa was supposed to be arriving tonight after all. But since it was so late and the roads weren’t in the best condition, Toriel had insisted that everyone stay the night. That way no one would end up on the side of the road or worse.

Not wanting to go through something like that again, you had already planned on staying the night. Claiming the couch for Mettaton and yourself the first chance that you got. Even if you did almost get into a fight with Undyne for it. Things quieted down after the Dreemurrs went to bed. No one wanted to wake them up. Better yet, no one wanted to deal with an angry Toriel. Instead the 6 of you played some games before settling yourselves into your designated spots in the living room.

But all was not quiet that night. When, suddenly, upon the roof was such a clatter, rousing you from the deep sleep that you had been experiencing previously. You sat up and the blanket fell from your shoulders to your legs. Mettaton not even stirring from behind you. There was a deep grunt and a small keening laughter that had you looking over to the large Christmas tree.

_Flowey looking quite smug,_  
In the pot, from which, he sprout.  
Santa trapped in his viney clutches.  
There was no longer any doubt. 

Several vines held a man prisoner and it was then that you saw that you and Flowey weren’t the only ones awake. Undyne stood perched upon the recliner where Alphys slept away. A blue spear in each hand with both directed at the intruder. Sans was also awake. Surprisingly. He was sitting on the floor by the feet of the love seat that his taller brother was snoozing away on. The stout skeleton’s left eye lit up, at the ready.

You looked between the monsters and the poor man trapped in Flowey’s vines. This was bad. You weren’t sure who this man was but you definitely needed to diffuse the situation before it escalated even more. Though it was horrible to think that a human would try to rob a monster household on Christmas Eve. So you roused Mettaton before heading over to the Christmas tree and turned it on. The colorful lights filled the room and you finally saw who Flowey had caught. Clapping your hands, you got the monsters’ attention and they seemed to calm down a bit. Except for the talking flower. He never calmed down. 

Now you were currently sitting on the couch with Mettaton right next to you. The situation had settled a bit but the issue was still there. There was a man claiming to be Santa Claus tied up next to a Christmas tree. Being held captive by high ranking members of the monster community.

_Santa looked angry._  
It was easy to see.  
He remained level-headed  
And said he could prove who he claimed to be. 

_The once jolly man raised a glove_  
And pointed to myself.  
“Go outside, child.”  
“Look at the roof. I’m not a lying elf.” 

It took you a couple of seconds to realize that the man was pointing to the only human in the room for help. Though it was probably best that Frisk was asleep upstairs. If this man turned out to be an intruder, you didn’t want to be the one explaining to the child why the police was called on Santa Claus. Still. This whole situation was just plain weird. However, you knew that Sans and Mettaton would keep Undyne in check from accidentally hurting the guy. Might as well figure out what proof this “Santa” had.

_I was still in a trance_  
But I did as I was told.  
Heading outside slowly  
To see what the roof behold. 

Cold. Cold. Cold. COLD. The chilly winter breeze seemed to encircle your entire body. Any warmth that was given to you by the large blanket you had wrapped around you was gone. Whisked away the moment you trudged out the front door onto the porch. Why did you agree to see what was on the roof, by yourself, from a possibly crazed intruder claiming to be Santa? Now that you thought of that, you realized just how insane it all sounded. Oh well. You were out here now. Might as well see what the man wanted you to see.

Silently grumbling to yourself, you walked out into the front yard and looked onto the roof as instructed.

_My mouth fell open wide._  
Eyes going big.  
Eight reindeer stood full of pride  
Just past the roof’s ridge. 

Nope. This couldn’t be happening. It shouldn’t be happening. Yet, it was. Eight beautiful reindeer clad in bells were attached to a huge sleigh. However, the entire thing wouldn’t have fit on the roof properly so it looked like it was hovering a bit. Meaning that man was telling the truth. That was Santa inside the house. Santa was currently being held captive by 3 monsters.

You all were going to be on the naughty list forever.

“Songbird? Is everything alright out here?” The sultry voice of Mettaton made its way over to you from the front door. Yet, you couldn’t look away. Instead, you just pointed to the roof with your mouth agape. Not caring who saw.

_I stood there unable to move,_  
Mettaton came out into the snow.  
Wondering what the man could prove.  
Until he saw the deer in a row. 

The robot stood next to me for a good while before he could muster up the ability to say something. “He wasn’t kidding.” You nodded your head in agreement. “Flowey… has Santa tied up… on Christmas Eve.” You nodded your head at his words again. “We are sooooooo never getting off the naughty list.”

“That’s the first thing I thought of too.” You signed without taking your eyes off of the reindeer on the roof. Your eyes making sure that you burn this image into your mind forever.

_As we gazed at the wondrous sight,_  
The front door was kicked ajar.  
Undyne standing at her full height  
While she looked at me and the robot star. 

_“Flowey has Santa captured!_  
That stupid weed ran away!”  
At her words, we scattered.  
To try and save this Christmas day. 

It took a couple of seconds for her words to sink in. “Wait.. What? WHAT?!” you signed to her the moment the realization that the evil jerk of a flower has officially kidnapped Santa Claus for some reason.

“You heard me, punk!” Undyne practically barked at you. “That weed took Santa. He dodged my spears and somehow escaped Sans’s blue magic. We need to find him!”

Looking up at Mettaton, the two of you nodded and you ran into the house after Undyne. “Where have you all searched?” the robot asked. The awe in his voice now gone. He was all business.

“Sans is searching the second floor since he can get away with being the quietest. I’m about to search the basement. Why don’t you two search the main floor?” The ex-Royal Guard captain’s voice was full of authority as she spoke. Mettaton and I gave her a brief nod before all three of us split off to our corresponding destinations. I started searching the east half of the first floor while Mettaton took the west. It was a decent sized house but it wasn’t like there was a lot of hiding places for a demented flower with a large man.

_Confusion set in._  
Just where did he go?  
Why kidnap Santa?  
Why cause all this woe? 

What was wrong with this flower? Noted, the few run-ins you’ve had with him… he hadn’t been the nicest. Always saying cruel things or popping out in an attempt to scare you. The only reason you put up with him was because Frisk seemed to really care about the guy and even if the flower wouldn’t admit it... he cared about the small human child too. But that didn’t explain why he felt the need to kidnap Santa. It didn’t make sense.

Shaking your head, you turned all of your focus into finding the flower. Waking Asgore and Toriel would probably be a good idea, at this point, but it seemed like no one wanted to be the person to do so. You have never experienced a sleep deprived Toriel and you were just as hell-bent as the others in not finding out. So you crept through the house like a ninja, trying to keep quiet while being effective in searching. It wasn’t until you found some patches of dirt by the backdoor did you find any clues.

_We searched the entire home_  
As quietly as we could.  
Until, on the ground, I found some loam  
And followed it outside into the wood. 

_The evil laughter bounced off the trees_  
While I continued to trudge on.  
I felt like I would freeze.  
Why couldn’t this have waited until dawn? 

Seems like you were doomed to spend this Christmas Eve shivering out in the cold. Judging from the lack of tracks, you were the only one to have found Flowey’s dirt trail that led to the woods just past the backyard. Phone out and at the ready.

You probably should have went in search of Mettaton, Sans, or Undyne but that could have wasted a lot of precious time. Time that you weren’t sure if you had or not. You didn’t know Flowey that well or why this was happening. This just seemed… weird. A high pitched keening echoed around the woods you currently wandered in. The sound more chilling than the weather you were out in. That didn’t stop you though. You needed to find them so that you could text their location to the others. If Mettaton hadn’t already found the trail that you were now following. Despite your mind screaming at you to go back, you trudged on towards the sound.

_Soon the trees broke_  
And a clearing lie before me.  
I froze as Flowey spoke.  
His voice filled with glee. 

_“You stupid old fool._  
I’ll take back the power to reset,  
With your Soul as the tool!”  
The flower spat out the threat. 

Flowey was no longer the small flower that could fit in one of the many cute pots that Frisk decorated for him. He was huge. Menacing. The normally kind of cute face he had was morphed and distorted. Without using much effort at all, the flower held Santa aloft by his arms and legs. The thorny vines keeping the large man from moving. Other than apparently being forcefully dragged, Santa didn’t look any worse for wear. Good!

Your fingers flew across the phone’s screen. Effortlessly texting your friends as Flowey’s laughter petered off. The flower leaned in close to Santa just as you hit send on the group text telling them where you were. “To think that all I had to do was lie in wait. I never knew there was such a powerful SOUL up here and now there is nothing that can stop me.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. But if you don’t release me, you are going to regret it.” Santa’s eyes narrowed angrily at the flower. Not intimidated by the fact he was currently at this creature’s mercy.

The flower’s laughter returned for just a moment. “You stupid old fool. I’ll take back the power to reset with your SOUL as the tool!”

Reset? What kind of power was that? Where did that even come from? Even though you didn’t quite understand Flowey’s ideas, you did understand the blatant threat. The flower was going to kill Santa and absorb his SOUL. You didn’t know what would happen but you didn’t want to have to find out. The vines around Santa’s limbs kept him in place as new ones sprouted from the ground. Aiming for the SOUL that pulsed in front of Santa’s chest. You needed to do something and fast.

Picking up a heavy nearby rock, you threw it as hard as you could at the flower monster. Trying to get his attention away from St. Nick. When that barely even registered you decided to do something a bit more drastic.

_Without thinking, I ran forward_  
As I heard Santa’s cry.  
I skidded to a halt at the horror  
Of catching Flowey’s eye. 

Okay… this was probably a bad idea. Scratch that. It was a _horrible_ idea. But you were already in the middle of the clearing with your chest huffing from the brief sprint. The flower’s attention finally on something else. However, he didn’t seemed too pleased to see you.

_Raising a vine, his smile dropped a bit._  
“Oh, it’s just you.”  
Closing my eyes, I braced for the hit.  
Instead, everything went blue. 

On instinct, you brought your arms up to protect yourself from the large vine that Flowey sent your way. This was it. You were going to die trying to protect Santa Claus from a demented flower monster who wanted his SOUL.

Suddenly you felt the distinct tugging on your SOUL similar to whenever Mettaton brings it out or Sans wants to move you around for some reason. You were dragged up and out of the way just as the vine struck the ground where you were moments before.

“Songbird, stay low!”

_Mettaton sprang forward_  
With a wall of bones in tow.  
In moments, the flower was cornered.  
Trapped with nowhere to go. 

Together, Sans and Mettaton, destroyed all of the vines that attempted to strike at them. Undyne joined in a few moments later. Her spears pinning new ones that just started to pop up from the ground. Soon the three powerful monsters had Flowey cornered with nowhere to go.

Or so you all thought.

The flower dove into the ground only to appear a few feet away from you. Somehow you managed to jump out of the way just before Flowey managed to grab your legs with a vine. Scrambling back, you watched as two well thrown spears pierced through the vines that the flower was sending your way, enabling you to get out of the way just as Mettaton sent some small rectangle versions of himself to act as a distraction.

“Metta, get down!” Sans called from the back and Mettaton did the splits to the ground just as a ray of white hot magic shot out from behind him with a vicious roar. Vaporizing a straight line through the trees and fauna.

_A large battle ensued_  
Between Flowey and my friends.  
My eyes were glued  
It was as if the fight wouldn’t end. 

Flowey was proving to be a worthy adversary. The three monsters had slowed down and had begun to make their movements more precise. During one of their attempts, Undyne was tripped up by one of the flower’s vines. Taking his chance, Flowey’s laughter rose as he shot two vines straight at the fish woman.

Two well thrown bones cut the vines in half and the fell lifelessly to the ground. Both, Undyne and yourself, looked in the direction from where the bones had come from. Because Sans hadn’t been anywhere near Undyne at that moment in time.

At the edge of the clearings stood the tall form of Papyrus. Both of his eyes were lit up a bright orange as he ran forward to help Undyne to her feet. “YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL!”

“Thanks, Paps. I owe ya one.” Undyne sent him a playful smirk as she clapped the tall skeleton on the back before rejoining the fight. Papyrus ‘NYEH HEH HEH’d’ and followed after her without any hesitation.

_Papyrus had woken up_  
And joined in the fray.  
He looked really grownup  
As he sent bones Flowey’s way. 

_Sans, Mettaton, Undyne, with Papyrus_  
Fought together in sync.  
They looked so glamorous  
That I didn’t want to blink. 

You stood off to the side feeling helpless. There was no way that you could keep up with them on top of not having any magic to aid you. All you were was a distraction. Which Flowey seemed to enjoy taking on occasion. Your frown deepened while your friends battled on. This fight looked like it wasn’t going to end anytime soon.

_The battle continued on_  
Until a noise made everyone freeze.  
It was no louder than a yawn  
As Frisk walked out of the trees. 

Everyone froze at the sight of the small child at the edge of the clearing. The poor kid looked really tired and disgruntled at having been woken up. Now that you thought about it, the woods weren’t to far away from the house. There was no way that the sounds of the fight hadn’t reached those inside. You were surprised Toriel and Asgore weren’t here to investigate what was going on.

Maybe they were heavier sleepers than you all originally thought.

Frisk eyed everyone as they looked around. No one moving and you weren’t sure why. Then again, you had frozen just like the rest of them.

_They took in the scene._  
Not happy in the slightest.  
Walking up to Flowey unseen  
And immediately stopped this crisis. 

_With just a few signed gestures,_  
Santa was set free.  
Then Flowey got lectured.  
It was something to see. 

It was obvious from the start who the culprit was and why thing had gone this way. Frisk let out a tired heavy sigh as they walked right up to Flowey. Completely unafraid.

Flowey was the opposite.

His petals drooped like he was a child caught red-handed doing something bad by a parent. He didn’t even bother to try and attack Frisk. Which was something because the flower seemed like he had been ready to kill everyone here.

The human child stopped just a few feet short of Flowey’s massive stem. “What are you doing?” Their hands signed and Flowey moved so that he could hide Santa Claus behind his large form.

“Me? Oh you know… Just some late night training with Undyne and the others.” Flowey’s voice had returned to its normal tone. The face no longer demented.

Frisk arched an eyebrow unconvinced. “On Christmas Eve? Really?”

“Thought I would make it interesting.” The flower just shrugged but you could tell that he was squirming under the child’s fixated gaze.

“Put him down, Flowey. Nicely.” The human child made sure to put emphasis on nicely. As though they could read the flower’s mind.

“Who?”

“You know very well who.”

The flower let out an annoyed growl but did as Frisk asked. He let Santa’s SOUL return to him while he lowered him to the ground. Releasing the man’s arms and legs once he was safe. Santa dusted himself off and started massaging his limbs so that the blood flow could start acting properly again. “Thank you very much, Frisk. And to all of you as well.”

Everyone kind of just nodded their heads. Not sure how to really steer the conversation. What do you say to someone after that? A brisk wind whipped about you and you shivered violently where you stood. That’s right… you were still in the woods, at night, in the middle of winter. “Now that Santa is safe and this seems to have resolved itself… Can we go inside now?” Your hands trembled from the cold as you signed.

“Of course, sweetheart! You must be frozen solid!” At those words, Mettaton moved over to you and picked you up. You didn’t hesitate in cuddling up to his warm chest plate. Undyne wolf-whistled at the two of you and you looked over the robot’s shoulder to stick your tongue out at her. You would have made a ruder gesture to her if it wasn’t for the fact that Frisk was standing not to far from Sans and Santa was right there. You don’t flip birds at people in front of Santa Claus.

_We went back inside_  
The cold making my body numb.  
I didn’t think how I almost died.  
Instead, listening to Mettaton’s soul thrum. 

_Santa went on his way._  
Not happy about being kidnapped.  
So he headed towards his sleigh,  
“It’s about time you all napped.” 

You were wrapped up in the huge blanket that you had shared with Mettaton earlier in the night. No one argued with the jolly man. After everything that had happened, everyone was exhausted. You all said your goodbyes and settled down for a nice winter’s nap.

Mettaton moved so that he was laying on the couch so that you could curl into his chest. Your eyes drooped as he leaned down to place a soft kiss on your forehead. “Well that was fun… did you take a look at the gifts Santa left under the tree, Gorgeous?”

How could you not have? Everyone pretty much had buzzed with excitement as you all had watched Santa go to work. But there was something wrong that you had noticed. There were gifts for everyone under the tree. Frisk, Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore, Toriel, yourself… but there hadn’t been any left for Mettaton. “Why didn’t Santa leave you anything?” you signed to him while fighting off the sleep that your body wanted you to succumb to.

“Because. All I want for Christmas…” Mettaton shuffled around so that he had a free hand. He reached behind him and produced a Christmas present bow. Gently pressing it onto the top of your head. “is you.”

A bright blush spread across your cheeks as your eyes narrowed at him. “Oh come on, that was so cheesy.”

Mettaton’s laughter rang out. “You liked it. You’re smiling.”

“That means nothing!” you huffed and looked away. The smile jsut grew wider.

“WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP, ALREADY?” Undyne whisper screeched at you from the recliner she shared with Alphys.

You almost wanted to leave the warmth that was the spot against Mettaton’s chest whom you were curled against to send a pun but opted not too. “Yo, Undyne… _tuna_ down the volume. People trying to sleep over here.” The baritone voice of Sans on the floor had you shaking with silent laughter. Your best friend had your back til the end.

Ignoring Undyne’s fuming as she began to argue with Sans with Papyrus joining after, you looked up at Mettaton with a tired smile. Leaning up so that you could share a soft kiss. “Merry Christmas.”

_Tired after all the running,_  
We went back to bed.  
To tired for any punning,  
I fell asleep after getting a kiss on my head. 

_Next to Mettaton, I was curled._  
Happy as could be.  
I wouldn’t change this Christmas for the world.  
As long as he was here next to me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm live on twitch with my brother Ravlash! Well, it will start about 5:30pm central but I'm in the chat!
> 
> Come party with us this Christmas Eve :D
> 
> https://www.twitch.tv/ravlash


	58. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not posting on Monday like normal but I didn't have time to finish this chapter AND the Christmas special because of all the holiday stuff going on in my life. So it was a Mettaton Christmas instead of a Mettaton Monday! :D
> 
> Also HAPPY NEW YEARS!

One. Two. Three. Four. Step left. Twirl. Then-

“ACHOO!”

You practically jumped out of your skin at the loud sound that had broken your concentration. It didn’t help the fact that you were nailing the moves too, _while_ playing a violin. This was the best you have done thus far so you were kind of ticked that something broke your rhythm. Whirling your head to the culprit, you sent a glare to the orange cat monster who was now blowing his nose into a cloth handkerchief. Arching an eyebrow at him as you patiently waited for him to notice you over the music.

He put the handkerchief in his pocket before he noticed your stern gaze on him. Pressing a button on the remote in his hand, the music came to a stop and silence descended upon the dance studio. “Ahh… sorry about that. You were doing a really good job-eeeaaahhhh-CHOO!” BP quickly covered his mouth to muffle the sneeze but now your agitation melted away into concern.

“Are you okay…?” You signed to the monster, once he was looking at you again, while taking some steps forward so that you could get a better look. Now that you were up close, the poor guy looked tired. There were deep bags under his eyes and he didn’t seem to have the unearthly energetic aura around him that he normally did. Even his odd facial features that he makes were toned down drastically. Something, clearly, wasn’t right. How had you not noticed this when Mettaton had sent BP for you to practice with for today?

The cat monster just waved his hand at you dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Someone is probably just talking bad about me… or something.”

“You’ve been hanging around Alphys too much. Pretty sure that isn’t how it works. This isn’t an anime.” You called his bluff even as he gave you a look that begged you to drop the subject. “You’re sick, aren’t you?”

“What? No… I’m in _purr_ fect health.” BP said with clear annunciation on the pun. His attempt at a distraction rather was obvious. However, you didn’t take the bait.

At least not the way that he had intended. “You’re _kitten_ me. You look _paw_ -sitively _claw_ -ful!”

“Oh lord, no.” BP brought his hand up to his face as he realized the beast that he had just unleashed. Now he was trying to find a way out. “Look I’m calling this practice session to an end. You are much further than we both anticipated. Why not have a relaxing day, eh little buddy?” He gave you a smile that said ‘I’m done with this conversation.’ and made his way out of the dance studio. Your gaze narrowed at his back.

Oh _hell_ , no. That cat monster wasn’t going to escape you that easily. If he was really sick, then he needed to take a break for a bit. It didn’t matter that he may have a ton of work to do for the studio. The place would survive one day without him.

Well… Probably.

Maybe.

More than likely.

Summoning all of your ninja-like abilities, you tailed BP. Making sure to keep a close eye on the cat monster as he went about his day while ignoring the strange looks that your coworkers were giving you on occasion. As the day goes on, he appeared to get worse. He was very sick though. BP hadn’t called you out on following him since you started. The cat monster was good at knowing something was up. So the fact that he hadn’t stopped you yet was alarming. His senses had to be messed up from whatever was going on. It was obvious from his quick escape attempt that he didn’t want you interfering.

Continuing to follow him around, you finally get the break that you have been looking for. BP heads down a deserted hallway and into one of the empty rooms. Rounding the corner as quickly and quietly as you could, so that you could peek inside, you barely have time to full out sprint to catch him from face planting into the tiled floor. Everything he was holding hitting the floor.

The cat monster was heavy. A lot heavier than he appeared to be. You held him up with both your arms around his chest and you began to slowly lower him to the floor. Once he is safely on the floor, and not greeting it with his face, you roll him over gently so that he was on his back. Ignoring his grunts and weak attempts at a protest, you press one of your hands to his forehead to check his temperature.

He was hot. The poor guy was completely burning up and it wasn’t because he was covered head to toe in orange fur. Letting out a frustrated sigh, you flicked his pink nose to get his attention. Earning yourself an annoyed grunt from the cat. “What the hell are you doing?” he growled out, reaching up to rub his nose.

“You’re sick.” You signed to him with a blatant look of annoyed anger that had BP biting his tongue, once he noticed. “So much so… you collapsed and about ate the floor.” The cat monster winced at your words though it was probably more from the glare that you had just given him. “What is wrong with you? You need to take the next couple days off to beat this fever. If you don’t, it’ll only get worse.”

“I know… and it has.” BP groaned but didn’t dismiss you like earlier. “Wait… how were you able to catch me? I thought I left you in the dance studio.”

“I’ve been following you the past few hours. Did you seriously not notice?” You arched an eyebrow at him while you fished your phone out of your pocket.

“Man… I must be worse off than I thoug- wait! What are you doing?” The cat monster managed to push himself up into an upright sitting position. It had been a brief struggle for him to do so though.

“Telling Mettaton that you are going home sick.” You signed to him one handed while looking over the top of your phone.

“WHAT?! NO!” BP lunges for your phone and it takes no effort on your part to jump backwards out of his reach. He fell forward onto the floor and painstakingly tried to crawl over to you. “I can’t… there is too much to do. I’ve gotta schedule an interview with Shyren over her new album release. Set up the themes for the next few shows of Questions with a Killer Robot. Look into this ridiculous rumor about Mettaton dating a toaster. That has blown up on social media more than you know. Not only that, check on the light and sound crews for the concert, get the costume designs from Mettaton to the designers, schedule a video meeting with Mettaton and all branch heads in the company, and then there’s just dealing with all the problems that pop up on a daily basis. I can’t go. Mettaton is too busy doing all the stuff that I’m not. That’s why he sent me to practice with you today. He was really looking forward to it and there is no one to replace me. I-”

“I can do it.” You signed to him. Taking a moment to think over what you just agreed too. Sure, it sounded like a lot but it didn’t sound overly hard. Most of it sounded like all you had to do was call someone and leave a message. “Noted, I probably won’t be as fast as you about it and there is the language barrier.” At this, you wiggled your fingers at him. “But I can enlist someone to translate. I bet one of the bunny guards would have a blast.”

The cat monster paused as if mulling it over. He still seemed pretty hesitant. “What abou-… no… Then there’s-… no you covered that too.” Eventually, he comes to a conclusion and shakes his head at you. “Nope. I can’t let you do that. Some of the people I deal with can be pretty bad. They don’t take kindly to monsters and you being a human helping one will make it worse. I’m not worried about them so much… I’m more worried about yo-” BP is suddenly cut off when he dry heaves and you look down at him with a victorious smirk. His body winning the argument for you.

He struggles to calm his stomach down before spreading out on the cool floor in defeat. “Okay… you win… but on one condition.” BP handed you the headset that he was wearing along with a cellphone that he pulled out of his pocket. You headed over to where he originally fell to pick up his clipboard and tablet. Hoping the fall hadn’t destroyed the electronic device. “If you have any questions, concerns, are confused, or get in trouble, you contact me. Do not hesitate to do so, if you don’t promise I won’t go rest. The phone I just gave you is solely for work purposes. It has all the numbers in it that you’ll need to call. I have my personal phone on me and you have my number in your phone.”

“I promise.” you signed to him with a serious expression matching BP’s tone of voice. Taking out your phone, you sent a text to Hoppity. Ever since that scare in the studio, the bunny monster has been trying to make it up to you. He felt bad for what happened even though it wasn’t his fault. Well now was a good a time as any to ask for help. It is just coincidence that it’s kind of work related.

 

“Hey! What do you mean I can’t get access?” A rather angry human TV host stood in front of you off to the side in the front entrance. His voice bringing a bunch of stares your way as he made a scene. Not long after you got BP to bed, with Hoppity’s help, the headset went off and you were called to the front desk. Turns out it was to deal with this TV host. This one was from a popular morning show that rivaled one of Mettaton’s. So much so that they have had playful competitions a few times.

He was claiming that he had an interview today with the robot star but it wasn’t on the schedule that you brought up nor was it in any previous emails or other types of correspondence. You did everything that BP had told you to do incase this happened. He wasn’t scheduled. “I’m sorry, Mr. Norman, but you aren’t on the agenda at all.” The electronic voice on your phone stated to the man. Hoppity stood next to you as you tried to figure out what exactly was going on. You had opted to using the text to voice app on your phone in lieu of Hoppity translating for you. The man didn’t seem too keen on talking to monsters. At least not one that looks like he could bench press 5 adults.

“Are you kidding me?! I get this pass and come all the way out here just to be snubbed like this?” The man’s voice was getting higher as he got angrier but you kept your expression calm. If he was going to act unprofessional then you had to be the professional one.

“Can I see your pass?” the voice asked for you. Without a word, the host handed you the pass and you looked at it with a frown. “This pass is fake.” One of the first things you were taught when you became a full-fledged employee was to check for fake entrance passes. The ones that were made by the studio weren’t normal printed passes. They were infused with magic. When they were handled a certain way, a 3d image of Mettaton in his box form would pop up. It was a form that hasn’t been used since his debut and thus not a lot of humans know about it because his EX form took the world by storm. Especially Japan. Regardless, anyone who worked here could check a pass and know it was fake rather quickly.

This didn’t seemed to deter the angry man in anyway but you did see him hesitate a bit. Was it because you called him out so quickly? Did he know that the pass was fake and tried to get in anyway? Norman was still very bitter and he looked like he was going to blow the toupee off the top of his head. He had no right to be this angry. People do and say stupid things when they are mad. “No. That pass isn’t fake. It is as real as any other person’s. Are you sure you aren’t blind as well as mute?”

You looked at him in surprise from his cruel words. Did… did this TV icon just say that to your face? In front of all of these people? You could already hear the silence that had descended upon everyone wishing to go on tour along with everyone who worked here. Before you could respond you felt a gentle hand on your shoulder. Hoppity stepped out from behind you using his intimidating stature to its full potential. “Mr. Norman, wassit? Mind saying that again? Because I may be going a little deaf.” The bunny monster leaned in while twitching his rather large purple ears.

Norman shrunk under the monster’s gaze and you had to clap your hands to get Hoppity’s attention back on you. It was sweet that he was standing up for you but now wasn’t the place or the time. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch what was going on between the three of you. This was a tense situation that needed to be handled carefully. All it would take was one bad image and the human rights mob would be back. Even if the jerk was the one who started it. It didn’t matter. People only looked for what they want to see. Even if it was only one half of the story.

“Sounds like you are all ears to me.” You gently tugged on one of Hoppity’s ears as your phone spoke for you. Trying to dissolve the intense situation that had formed and getting a good guffaw out of the big monster. Turning back to Mr. Norman, you offered a slightly apologetic smile. “I’m sorry but whomever you got this from gave you a fake pass. If you did have an interview today it isn’t in our records. Yet, everyone makes mistakes and scheduling errors happen. If you would like to do an interview with Mettaton, I would be happy to work you. If he is willing to do one. Just send me your schedule for the next couple of months and we’ll find the best time to do it.”

The man blinked a couple of times and you had to hold back a smug grin. You kept your demeanor calm and professional. Despite the fact he had just been extremely cruel for no reason. Other than he had been caught red handed in trying to get into the studio with a fake pass. “R-really? You would do that?” Norman seemed to be in disbelief but you just shrugged at him while writing down the email and number that BP had told you to give to people wanting to be properly scheduled in.

“Of course. Here is the line that we’ll be contacting you by. I just need your number.” You had a brief exchange of numbers before you sent him off with a smile but the moment he was out of sight and you had left the entrance to head down an empty hallway… So many birds flew from your hands in that man’s general direction that Hoppity lost it.

“That was awesome, little birdy. BP would have been proud.” the bunny monster ruffled your hair and you had to bat his hands away to get him to stop.

You finished writing down Norman’s information onto the clipboard with a heavy sigh before popping your phone back into your pocket. “Well… I probably wouldn’t have kept my cool if you hadn’t of stepped up there. Thanks for having my back.” Your hands signed. “Shall we start on this list?” Gesturing to the list of things that BP had to get done today.

“Always! Let’s do it!” He clapped your back in a very Undyne-like fashion, just without as much force, as you headed down the hallway towards your next objective.

 

This… was torture…

How could BP keep up with all of this?!

You stood panting against a wall while clutching the clipboard and tablet for dear life. For the past four days, you have been filling in for BP who was finally getting better with Hoppity being your partner in crime. It turns out that the cat monster has had that cold for about a month. He had been taking medicine but the lack of rest was what had made it worse. You shook your head in disbelief. Evil workaholic. It’s no wonder that it had gotten worse.

The normal workload, itself, wasn’t too bad. It was everything else that happens that made it 100% worse. Everyone and their brother was coming to you for advice, help, or just general complaints. It was like BP was manager, organizer, HR department, and therapist, all in one! There was no way that this was a normal job. Yet because you have been working BP’s job, you haven’t had any time to practice. You were just too busy. One time you had stayed up all night just so that one thing was set up for the next day. Letting out a tired sigh, you pressed your back even more into the wall. This was exhausting… how did the cat monster pull this off on such a regular basis?!

“Songbird! There you are~! You’ve missed our past couple of practice sessions- why are you wearing BP’s headset and carrying his stuff?” Mettaton’s singsong voice turned into outright confusion as you hung your head in defeat. There goes your brief 10 minute break. Down time was something that was now a thing of the past. But in all of this running around you had forgotten two crucial details. You didn’t tell Mettaton that BP was out sick or that you had volunteered to fill in for him.

Growling mentally at yourself for that stupid error, you lifted your head so that you could look at your boyfriend while explaining everything when a voice started to speak in your ear. “We’ve got a situation in the lighting department. Please head over as quickly as you can.”

You hung your head but hit one of the buttons on your headset twice to indicate that you had received the message. Pushing away from the wall, you give Mettaton a somber smile. “Sorry, just know it isn’t BP’s fault and I will happily explain later.” Your hands signed before you clapped your hands and Hoppity appeared at your side.

“Wassup, birdy?” He smiled at you before nodding his head at Mettaton, who looked even more confused than before.

“We have to head over to lighting. Then after that we need to call back those clothing designers and give them the measurements they had requested.” You started walking down the hallway with Hoppity on your heels. Leaving poor Mettaton behind, completely flummoxed.

Why couldn’t the lighting crew figure out the colors for the lights themselves? Or better yet, ask Mettaton’s opinion on it. After all, it was his concert and he would know what he wanted more than you would. He had a set theme and, unfortunately, you didn’t know what it was. So you sat in the auditorium as the lighting crew changed the lights while asking your opinion. They all looked pretty but you didn’t know what would fit! Hoppity, on the other hand, was just enjoying the colored light show.

“Those blues look pretty good. Why not combine that with a light purple?” a familiar gruff voice called out from behind you that had you cracking your neck from turning around so fast. BP stood in the aisle not far from where Hoppity and you were sitting. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans compared to his normally very nice clothes. A big grin on his face. “Hey there, bud. Nice to see that the studio is in one piece. You’ve done a good job on such a short notice.”

You hop out of your seat and into his arms. Hugging the cat monster as tight as you could with Hoppity laughing behind you. “She sure has been doin a good job. Somehow managed to even keep up with you.”

Pulling away you give BP a look of admiration and appreciation. “How do you do this every day? Explain it to me!”

The cat monster smirks and leans in close like he’s about to tell you a dark secret. “Magic!” He simply says while giving you jazz hands.

“Okay. I get it. A magician never reveals his secrets. How are you feeling?” You signed to him while rolling your eyes. Because you had been so busy, you hadn’t had a chance to check on him in his room at the resort. Which you felt bad about.

“Much better.” He reaches up and plucks the headset off your head and puts it on his. “You have been relieved of duty, Songbird. Thanks for your service!”

“It was no problem at all!” You made sure to give him a bright smile. Yes, it had been hard but at the same time you were glad that you had been able to help. Even if you now had to go explain to Mettaton what has been going on the past four days. “Alright, I leave these to you then.” You hand back his clipboard and tablet. Before you head to Mettaton’s office, you give BP another big hug getting a surprised laugh from him.

You really needed to persuade Mettaton to give this guy an awesome vacation.


	59. I'm sorry... again

To put it simply... there isn't a chapter for this story this week. Last week was absolutely terrible to the point that I couldn't write anything happy. I just couldn't. Instead, this: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9267110/chapters/21003953

Came into existence. I used it as a way to vent and that's what I ended up making. Next week should be back to normal but in the mean time you can read that instead. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but there was just no way that I could do it....


	60. Yeah...

I haven't really pulled myself out of this slump yet. I am better but not enough so that I could write something happy go lucky. So instead of a chapter for this, there is another chapter for Stay: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9267110/chapters/21185753

 

Sorry about all of this and thank you all for the kind words and for being patient!


	61. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about updating like normal. I was out of town for a funeral. But I did manage to write this and I hope you all enjoy it! I haven't drawn a picture yet though :/
> 
> *another picture is added to the ever growing list*

Bored.

 

Bored.

 

BORED.

 

Swinging your legs as you sat atop a stainless steel lab table, you silently grumbled to yourself. Purposely ignoring the human scientists as they milled about in the hallway. Some continued to stare through the lab windows despite the fact that you had sent them countless glares already. Rude. To them, you were something of an enigma. The human who should have died but instead is getting better through SOUL treatments. If only you hadn’t of run out of the SOUL shake that the yellow monster had made for you. Well, it was a supplement but that’s what you had decided to call the weird concoction. It was like one of those breakfast shakes that were full of nutrients only for your SOUL instead of your body. Alphys designed it so that she wouldn’t have to get so invasive if you had a deficiency for some reason. It was sweet but you were still in the experimental period to see if it even worked.

This lab was the one where Alphys worked at the university that she also taught at instead of the one that doubled as her home. The campus was massive and the science department was full of head honchos and big wigs in their designated fields. Only the best of the best could work here and Alphys had definitely made a name for herself. Especially with the SOUL experiments. Making you her prize subject. But even with all that in mind, the staring was still very rude. All of your earlier excitement snuffed out after you had been hounded about what it felt like and if you could feel the cracks in your SOUL. It was none of their business but that hadn’t stopped them. Now you just wanted to get your next batch of SOUL shake and go home.

Maybe take a shower for a while. A long shower. Some of the penetrating stares of the scientists made you feel very uneasy. It felt like they were undressing you to see how you ticked. It was kind of unnerving.

Currently, Alphys was talking to a couple of her students in her office so you were waiting for her to finish up. It didn’t help that she was taking forever. You’ve been here long enough that the cool metal had warmed up with you sitting on it.

Slouching forward as your eyes scan the robotics lab that had parts and pieces scattered everywhere due to various projects, you almost fall off the counter you were sitting on when a certain stout skeleton walks into the lab holding a stack of papers and a clipboard.

Sans doesn’t notice your presence. He’s wearing his normal t-shirt and shorts under a crisp white lab coat. The long sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The pink slippers that he normally wore were replaced with some semi-nice converse. Laces tied. But that wasn’t what almost had you falling from your perch. He actually looked rather nice in sciencey attire. It suits him rather well.

 

It was the glasses.

 

He was wearing glasses and they were TAPED to the sides of his skull.

 

You had to hold back silent giggles as you watched him peek into Alphys’s office window only to wait outside of it. He tapped his foot on the floor and you slowly slid onto the tile. Dropping low out of his line of sight, if he had decided to look your way. He hadn’t.

Creeping around the long tables while avoiding wires and other equipment, you peered around the corner with your target still looking at Alphys’s door. Perfect. Time to get a little revenge. Arching your back, you launch yourself at the skeleton taking him entirely by surprise. Your arms wrapped around his shoulders as he jumped. Trapping the skeleton in your arms. The clipboard and papers falling to the floor.

Before you can even register it, you were suddenly floating close to the ceiling with your SOUL surrounded by a familiar blue magic. All the amusement on your face at having scared your skelefriend dissipated when you saw the look on his skull. It was there only for a moment but you definitely saw a look of true fear. Like you may have actually tried to kill him. As soon as it registered, it was gone once Sans noticed who he had caught up in his magic.

His signature smile returned and morphed into a smirk while he used his magic to pick up the things that he had dropped. All the while keeping you near the ceiling. “Hey there, bud. Didn’t realize you wanted to _jump these bones_ so badly. Should Mettaton be jealous?”

Rolling your eyes, you smirked right back at him but you weren’t going to let that look of true fear slide. Yet, now wasn’t the time to ask. “How could I resist? You have some pretty _Sans_ -ational bones.” Your hands signed as you shrugged. Completely unfazed. This earns you a bright grin and a chuckle from the skeleton. Doing a flip in midair, you played around in the magic that was holding you aloft. It wasn’t often that Sans used his magic to lift you and you took every opportunity you could to enjoy the weightless feeling that it brought. 

“So what brings ya to the university, kid?” Sans asked, casually leaning against one of the counters as he continued to keep up his magic. Indulging you and thoroughly amused by your floating antics.

“Need more SOUL shake.” You signed after having to use your hand on the ceiling to stop yourself from the never ending spin you had started. The room still spinning slightly.  
Sans snorted. “SOUL what?”

“SOUL shake. That supplement thingy that Alphys has been having me try out to see if it will boost healing faster. The texture reminds me of those gross breakfast shakes people drink so that’s what I call it.” You ended with another shrug as Sans barked out a laugh at your reasoning. Continuing to play while you both waited for Alphys, you stopped yourself for a second time before turning to the skeleton. “So do you work here too?”

Now it was the stout skeleton’s turn to shrug. “Off and on. I’m more into Quantum Physics and the like myself but I’ve been helping Alphys with the SOUL stuff too. Mainly because we both worked together in the underground for a while. But I stopped and became a sentry.”

You eyed the skeleton curiously. This was the first time you were hearing this. Sans had a lot of secrets. There have been several times where he would change the subject with a pun in an attempt at a diversion and you had let it slide. He would tell you when he was ready. But it was odd how he would just quit being a scientist to downgrade to the job of sentry duty. “Why’d you quit?”

“…not ready to talk about it just yet.” His attention turned to the lab entrance along with yours when you both heard a clatter by the door. Outside were about 20 humans. Some were scientists while others were students. They were all fixated on the two of you and it was then that you realized that all the big wig scientists were looking at your SOUL with scientific fascination.

All of a sudden you felt completely and utterly exposed. Your hands unconsciously moving up to cover your poor SOUL from the fixated gaze of the onlookers. A few of the scientists had started taking notes and you weren’t sure if you were okay with that. It felt like they had been gazing at the most personal part of your being and were analyzing it. All of the good things along with the flaws… the so many flaws. You didn’t like it. You didn’t like it at all. This wasn’t Sans who has seen it a few times already, Alphys doing tests, or Mettaton just wanting to show how much he cared. This was clinical curiosity and they wanted to figure out how exactly you were alive. A silent whimper escaped your lips as you curled into a ball in the air. You didn’t want them looking at you anymore. 

Sans was quick to pick up on your changed demeanor. He lowered you gently to the ground and released the magic that held your SOUL. It went back into your chest faster than any of the previous times you have seen it do. A soft relieved sigh warming your being as you felt whole and safe again. There was some groans of disapproval from the crowd but Sans was already strolling towards them. “Alright, that’s enough of that. You guys are _hertz_ -n more than helping with the _frequency_ of those stares. C’mon shoo.” His puns get a few laughs from the crowd but they begrudgingly disperse at his words. “Sorry about that. Didn’t think us playing around would draw a crowd.”

It wasn’t his fault. You hadn’t been paying attention either but then again most humans haven’t seen monster magic. Let alone an exposed human SOUL. So you understood why a small crowd had gathered at the display of monster magic. Once upon a time, you might have been one of the students gawking at the skeleton who was levitating someone who was apparently enjoying every minute of the encounter. It didn’t make you feel any less violated about it though. 

Unconsciously, your hands covered over your chest as if to hide your SOUL even though it wasn’t out anymore. Now you were definitely going to take that shower when you got home. “Yeah… that was quite the _spectacle_.” You signed to Sans while keeping your hands near your chest then gestured to the glasses on his skull.

He chuckles before moving to a door that leads to an adjoining lab. “C’mon, you don’t need to wait for Alphys. I know where she keeps the SOUL shake at. This is actually good timing because we changed it up a bit and now we can keep an eye on you in a controlled environment.” The stout skeleton waved for you to follow him and you did with your head hanging low. You weren’t going to be allowed to go home anytime soon it seemed.

Deciding not to ponder on it anymore, the skeleton leads you into a lab that was the complete opposite of the one you had been waiting around in. This one looked much more like the mad science labs that you see in cartoons or movies. Chemical equations were written on the whiteboards in the room, beakers and other glass implements filled almost every available surface. Sans stood next to two glass beakers that looked more like small cups at the center of the room. One was multicolored while the other was a more of a soft caramel brown. You were about to ask which one was the one you were supposed to drink when Alphys peeked her yellow head into the room. “S-Sans, could y-you come here a-a moment? It’ll o-only take a second.” she gave you an apologetic smile while the stout skeleton gave a shrug.

 

“Sure, no skin of my nose.”

 

“You don’t have skin or a nose.” Alphys’s eyes narrowed at him as she said it and his smile grew wider.

 

“Exactly.”

 

The yellow monster rubbed her snout with a defeated sigh. “Ugh, just come over here. Also, (y/n), make sure you drink all of it, and when you do, come back to the robotics lab so that we can monitor you.” Alphys gestured to one of the two drinks but from the distance she was from it you didn’t know which one she was talking about. Yet, she was gone before you could ask while dragging Sans with her. You turned your attention back to the two drinks with a worried look on your features.

Other than the SOUL stuff, you weren’t sure what Alphys and Sans have been working on. Even though these two labs were most definitely Alphys’s and not Sans’s. It was a 50/50 shot of you guessing right and with a heavy sigh you grabbed the caramel one. This one looked the closest in color to the ones that she already had you drinking. Whatever they had done shouldn’t have changed the color so drastically right?

Not letting yourself think about it anymore than you needed, you held your nose and downed the entire concoction as fast as you could. Only managing to gag a couple of times at the disgusting texture and taste, which you were rather proud of. However, this one tasted even worse than the other stuff she had given you. It was fighting its way back up and you kicked the floor as you tried to keep it down.

This wasn’t like normal medicine or supplements. It was infused with magic in a way that made the effects almost instantaneous. You just had to manage to keep it down long enough for it to do what it was supposed to, then you could throw up all you wanted with no worries. That was the explanation that Alphys had given you and you loved her for it.  
It had made the first few times you trying the stuff much more stand-able knowing there weren’t any repercussions after the warm feeling that it gave off faded. Why couldn’t all medicine work this way? After a few moments of mentally swearing as you tried to keep it in your body, you felt the normal warmth that it gave off. It was not long after that you realized that you probably picked the wrong drink.

The warmth traveled up from your stomach and past where it normally would make it’s home in your SOUL. It kept going until you felt as though you were having a rather high fever with your head pulsing in pain. The pain grew from a dull pulsing ache until it felt like your skull was being ripped apart for the inside out. You dropped to your side on the floor with the beaker you were holding shattering at the impact. It sounded so far away over the pulsing in your ears as you curled into a tiny ball wishing for the pain to go away.  
What had you done? What did you drink? What was happening to your body? What was Alphys working on and why was it so painful?

Tears were threatening to fall as you clutched at your head hoping that the added pressure from your hands would alleviate the pain a small bit. It didn’t. If anything it made it worse. You were panting from how hot you were. This wasn’t good. You needed to get to Alphys and Sans. With weak trembling arms, you tried to crawl your way over to the door that led to the robotics lab but you don’t get very far before you just crumple in on yourself. You were going to have to wait it out. That or hope the beaker breaking got the attention of someone nearby. So you decided to focus on breathing to help with the pain.

Breathe in. Breathe out. This was a magic chemical creation. That much was obvious due to the fact that it reacted much faster than human medicines. Breathe in. Breathe out. Meaning Alphys was making this for consumption, whether it had been originally for human or monster no longer mattered at the moment. Breathe in. Breathe out. Regardless, it meant that more than likely it wouldn’t kill you. Though you didn’t know the effect it would have on your body. Especially if had been originally made for monster consumption. Breathe in. Breathe out. This sucked.

You remained on the floor for a while but it felt like years. Eventually, the pain finally started to subside and it left you just a tired panting mess on the floor. The slight fever wasn’t so quick to dissipate. You slowly sat up and rested your back against the stainless steel lab table behind you. The coolness of the metal doing wonders on your heated body. Reaching a hand up to rub the top of your head, you paused when you felt something sticking up where it should have been flat and round.

It was furry and soft. You followed from the base that seemed to be attached to your head all the way to the tip and down the slightly pointed curve back down to your skull. What the hell was this? You brought your other hand up and sure enough there was an identical one on the other side. Turning around faster than you should have, you looked at your reflection in the metal with your eyes going wide.

 

Ears.

 

_You had cat ears._

_The same color as your hair._

 

“Hey, bud? You okay in here? Surely, it doesn’t take an hour for you to drink one… holy shit.” Your head whips around to see the stout skeleton stop as he got a good look at you. The pin lights in his eye sockets scan over the new additions on the top of your head. “You’ve got to be _kitten_ me right _meow_.”

Normally, you would be all for those puns but right now you were not in the mood. Your ears laid back on the top of your head. The warmth starting to finally leave your system much to your relief. Even if you were slightly amused by the fact that yes, you had cat ears, you knew that this was bad. Were these permanent? You felt the blood drain from your face at the thought.

“Sans! I-is she ok- OH MY GOD!” Alphys rounded the corner following after the skeleton only to stumble to a halt as she got a good look at you. Her eyes did the exact same thing Sans had done as she took in the ears. Though you clapped your hands to the ears on top of your head as they picked up on the inhumane squeal that the dinosaur monster emitted. It picked up in volume until you saw that she was practically trembling with excitement. “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEE OH MY GOD! SO KAWAII!”

She’s over to you on the floor before you can blink. Checking out your ears, touching them, stroking them, gently pulling on them in odd angles. All the while she’s talking nonstop. “OHMYGOSH! I can’t believe it worked! Can you hear out of them? How was the process? Oh they match the same color of your hair! Can you move them? What’s it like?”

You bat her hands away from your head and your ears lay completely flat. Sending her a glare a glare that was completely ignored. “Did you plan this?” You signed to her accusingly.

“N-no! Well, yes… but not in the way you were thinking! G-goodness, I’m sorry! You see, I-I was working on that neko formula w-when some of my students came in with questions for their t-thesis. I didn’t realize that I set the latest test batch next to the SOUL supplement I made for you… and you must have picked this one b-because it was similar in color…” Alphys trailed off in her flustered state and you eased up on the death glare you had been giving her.

It was an honest accident. That’s all there was to it. “So… are these permanent?” you signed as both of the ears quirked up in a questioning manner. Getting yourself another high pitched squeal that made your new ears ring painfully.

“No! No no! I made it so that the effects should only last a few hours. O-Once the magic that is keeping them active f-fades, you will return to normal.” Alphys held her hands up reassuringly as Sans looked at the broken glass on the floor.

Only a few hours? Okay, that was something you could deal with. In fact, you may actually have a little fun having them for that short amount of time. Letting out a sigh you pointed to the other beaker on the table from your sitting position on the floor. “Should I drink that now?”

Alphys and Sans both shook their heads in unison. “Nah, kid. This SOUL shake has more magic in it because its meant to help connect directly to your SOUL. We’ve never mixed magic like this within a human and we don’t know what would happen if we did. It’s best to hold off on that until what you have is currently out of your system. I don’t exactly want to find out the _paw_ ful side effects on a friend.”

The stout skeleton dodged out of the way as Alphys went to hit him upside his skull for the pun But the point had been made. You were going to have to wait. “D-do you mind i-if I ask you some questions? While we wait for the magic to run its course, that is!”

Might as well. It’s not like you were going to accidentally drink this stuff again. Next time you would definitely be asking what it was instead of just taking a wild guess. With Sans helping you off the floor, you settled into a rather comfy chair as Alphys grabbed a clipboard and pen. You toyed with moving the ears around while the monster scientist got settled. “O-okay! Let’s start f-from the top!”

You nodded your head and got comfy yourself. This was going to take a while.


	62. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Had some errands to run. But since people are curious I'll start putting in the word count in each chapter.
> 
> This one is 2752. A little shorter than what I normally do.

This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t be. You poked the two foreign things on the top of your head as if to make sure that they were still there.

They were.

You silently grumbled to yourself as your new cat ears mirrored your mood and laid back on the top of your head. This time you had a wonderful view of it from the bathroom mirror and you had to admit that it was pretty cute. Alphys did a good job with her weird magical chemistry. Yet, they weren’t after-the-3-hours-she-had-said good. It was well, WELL past the 3 hours that the yellow monster had said they would last. They were officially moving onto their second day of existence and you were starting to get worried.

Monsters and humans are completely different when it comes down to it. What may only last a few hours for a monster may become permanent for a human. The only reason you were thinking that was because their bodies were made of magic. Their bodies can change much easier because it can be easily influenced by outside sources. 

Mettaton and Sans had both proven those things to you when you had asked. The skeleton had made a tongue appear and Mettaton had somehow made his canines elongate into fangs. His body wasn’t even originally his either but the ghost still had influence over it. Both relatively minor things but they got the point across.

Whereas, human bodies are much more solid. The flesh and bone is a lot harder to change and you were pretty sure that was why it hurt so much when the ears were forming because humans aren’t supposed to change like that. It probably would have only been a mild discomfort for a monster. During the talk with Alphys, she pretty much hinted at that without outright saying it. But the worried look on your friends’ faces was still in your mind when you had told them how excruciating it had been.

This wouldn’t do though. After all this time, you finally had an official date with Mettaton. _A date! _None of that impromptu stuff that seemed to happen a lot until now. An actual date! He had even done it in a way that still made your heart jump. A few days ago you had heard this odd pattern of familiar sounds. Some were short bursts while the others were longer. But you couldn’t see who it was coming from. Having dealt with significantly weirder things, you shrugged it off as you tried to figure out why the pattern seemed familiar in a way.__

__After scrounging the deepest recesses of your brain, you finally remembered that it vaguely reminded you of Morse code. There was no way that was a coincidence. So you immediately turned the short bursts and dashes of sound into a song in your head. That way you wouldn’t forget. When lunch hit you went online on your phone and looked it all up on your break. It had taken a bit to decipher because you hadn’t started the notes in the beginning. You had started to memorize them around the halfway point. All it took was some minor tweaking and the message became clear._ _

__**_Would you like to go out on Friday night? MTT_ ** _ _

__If you could have screamed in delight you would have as you stood up from your booth in MTT’s restaurant and fist pumped the air excitedly. An actual date! You spam texted yes to the poor guy until you heard the repeated sounds of someone getting a lot of text messages at once in the booth behind you._ _

__A deep chuckle was heard as Mettaton sat up from his lying down position in the booth looking at you with amusement. The love tuner was in his mouth as he played the pattern perfectly again and your mouth practically dropped open. Not only had he asked you out in a creative and unorthodox way but he had used the gift you had given him to do it._ _

__Clever robot. _Veeeerrry_ clever._ _

__You weren’t sure what exactly he had planned but you did know that it didn’t include his girlfriend having cat ears. Not that they weren’t cute but they would most definitely be a hindrance if you were out in the open with them. People would probably think one of three things. That you were either a cosplayer, a monster, or the spawn of a human and a monster.  
The first one wasn’t so bad but the other two… could be very bad. Especially the last one._ _

__

__**_Mettaton Taking Humanoid Monster Out on The Town!_ ** _ _

__**_Can Monsters and Humans Have Children? The Truth Revealed!_ ** _ _

__**_Mettaton’s Secret Human Affair? Go to page 69 for details!_ ** _ _

__

__Ignoring your own slightly dirty joke, you shook your head. The likelihood of the article being on that page were slim but the possibility of those being written were almost 100%. You had to hide the ears or cancel the date and stay in until they were gone. Those were your only options._ _

__Heading into your bedroom, you began to dig around for something that you could wear that wouldn’t look out of place but was comfortable at the same time. Even though they weren’t supposed to last, the ears were surprisingly sensitive and you did not want to be uncomfortable for the whole night. Flattening your ears with a cloth headband, you maneuvered a baseball cap over top and looked at yourself in the hand mirror._ _

__Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. It didn’t fit the dressy casual look you had been going for. You dug through what you had until you just fell onto your bed frustrated. There was nothing that you liked but you HAD to pick something. But none of it worked well enough to not have it be a red flag that you were hiding something from Mettaton. What would he think of these new additions anyway? Other than the fact that he would more than likely chew Alphys out for her carelessness. Probably Sans too._ _

__Though the skeleton would probably just think this whole scenario was hilarious, which you had to admit it kind of was, unless they turned out to be permanent. Then he would beat himself up about it every time he spotted them on your head while he and Alphys set out to make a cure. Which bothered you more then he realized. The poor monsters already had demons. You didn’t want to add another into the mix._ _

__“I’ve got a delivery that’s going to make your _heart sing _.” a familiar deep voice rang out from your living room. Pulling you out of your thoughts. You had been wondering when Sans was coming back.___ _

____After it had been made abundantly clear that the ears weren’t going to disappear anytime soon, you had been sent home with Sans sleeping over in case something odd happened. They weren’t going to allow you to drink the soul shake until the magic had run its course for fear that the two different magics could cause a bad reaction. Cat ears were an inconvenience but not horrible. Two magics mixing within a solid human shell with no means to escape could be really really bad._ _ _ _

____When you had gotten up this morning, Sans was already back at the university. He had been teleporting back and forth to keep an eye on you but if there was going to be any other side effects they would have made themselves known by this point. You had been asleep during his last check in (you only knew because he had left a note on the kitchen counter.). So you weren’t sure if he knew if you still had the ears or not,_ _ _ _

____Judging by the fact he was back with some soul shake (when you first tried it the effect had made you feel better almost immediately and the aura around your SOUL pulsed vibrantly. You had said that it was singing.), he more than likely didn’t. With a heavy sigh, you stood up from the mess that was once your bedroom and made your way over to the skeleton. Your suspicions confirmed by the colorful drink he held in his boney hand. “As much as I know how that would _lift my spirits_. I can’t have that.” You signed to the skeleton and you swore that you had saw the pinpricks in his eye sockets dim a small bit._ _ _ _

____“...Why not…?” Sans eyed the top of your head skeptically and that’s when you realized that you still had the headband on that was keeping your ears pinned down. Without signing a word, you pulled the headband off and they sprung back up almost instantly. Slightly relieved now that the constricting cloth wasn’t on them anymore. It hadn’t been uncomfortable but it felt weird when they couldn’t move like they should. “Oh… _paw_ fect…” The sarcasm was heavy in his voice and all you could do was roll your eyes._ _ _ _

____“Most definitely. These _litter_ additions are going to be just wonderful for my date tonight.” Yes, you signed a pun but you weren’t really feeling it. Your mind was buzzing with all the bad scenarios and you were getting to the point that maybe you should call it off. It stung to even think about but there was much more at stake than just missing a reservation at a fancy restaurant or something. _ _ _ _

____Mettaton would be disappointed. He has been looking forward to this for the past few days and he had made it known to almost everyone. You would rather he be a little disappointed than the next big celebrity gossip and it wouldn’t be the good kind of gossip either. “Oh no. Don’t you go making that face with those ears.”_ _ _ _

____Blinking, you cocked an eyebrow curiously at the stout skeleton who had set the shake on your coffee table. “What face…?”_ _ _ _

____“THAT one.” He gestured to your face but there was no way you could see it unless he had a mirror. “You have these big somber eyes and with the ears… its worse that the damn puppy face. You are going on that date. Don’t let something like this ruin your night.”_ _ _ _

____“Then what should I do?” you signed completely flummoxed. The only reason why you had gotten away with just a headband was because Sans was close to your height. Making it harder for him to see the top of your head unless he REALLY wanted to. Mettaton was easily a few feet taller than you and there was no way that he wouldn’t get a good look at the top of your head._ _ _ _

____The skeleton scratched his chin in thought for a moment before snapping his fingers and blipping out of existence. Which was weird because your new ears picked up on the sound of the time space distortion that his teleporting gave off. It didn’t sound as fluid as you thought it would. Instead, it was almost like static._ _ _ _

____You didn’t have to wait long for the skeleton monster to pop back into existence in your living room. This time the popping sound was laced with the static. Sans tossed something at you and you barely registered it in time to catch it before it hit you in the face. In your hands was an odd hat that was designed to look like a skull. Taking an even better look you had to hold back the laughter that wanted to make its way out._ _ _ _

____It was a skull cap._ _ _ _

____Designed to look like a skull._ _ _ _

____Why or where Sans got this, you had no idea but it was so him that you just couldn’t deny it. You could see the skeleton grin brightly at you as the realization of what it was spread across your features. “Just wear that. Say I dared you or that you lost a bet with me and have to wear it for awhile. Now you won’t have to be _skull_ king on your date.”_ _ _ _

____That… was actually a brilliant idea. You and Sans were pulling stupid shit like this all the time. It wouldn’t be weird to Mettaton or your friends at all if you were forced to wear a skullcap for awhile because you had lost to the skeleton. This guy… was too smart for his own good._ _ _ _

____Still. You went into the bathroom with Sans following so that you could put it on over the headband and make your hair look nice. Moving the strands around so that they were framing your face instead of pushed out of the way. Whirling around, you make a pose. “How do I look?”_ _ _ _

____“ _Tibia_ , honest… I think it looks _skull_ tacular.” You could practically hear the smugness in the skeleton’s voice as he said it, giving you a thumbs up all the while._ _ _ _

____“Haha. Since you kind of got me into this mess, YOU’RE going to help me pick out an outfit.” You signed to him making sure to point at him at the ‘you’re’ part. With all the digging for a hat, you kind of gave up looking for a suitable outfit. “And I want full sassy fashionista commentary.”_ _ _ _

____“Gurl, y’know I got your back.” The way Sans had said that line in his deep voice caught you off guard and he knew it would too. He had said in full jersey girl reality TV star style. Perfectly. You were rolling on the floor of your bathroom. Silent laughter engulfing your entire being. There was no way in hell that Sans would have done that normally. The only reason why he did it now was because he knew it would get you. If it wasn’t obvious by the shit eating grin plastered to his skull. “C’mon. Let’s go check out your threads.”_ _ _ _

____You’re dying._ _ _ _

____This skeleton was going to kill you with laughter. Best medicine your ass._ _ _ _

____After a good two hours of going through your clothes and trying on pretty much everything you owned, your bad mood about the ears were long gone. Sans had done what you asked and kept up the accent and speech style the entire time. Never afraid to voice every single opinion on the outfit you walked out in. Which made the whole thing worse because of two things; the first was that you knew you couldn’t take his opinions seriously and the second was that you often had to take a few minutes to collect yourself because you were laughing to hard at his commentary._ _ _ _

____He was doing it on purpose and you loved him for it. In the end, though, the decision was made for you as Mettaton pulled into your driveway and your new ears picked up on the clicking of heels up to your front door. This was an unexpected bonus. Your hearing range had definitely increased. Sans gave you a thumbs up at your outfit and it wasn’t the worst ensemble either. You wouldn’t look out of place if you went somewhere fancy nor would you look overdressed if you went to a normal one._ _ _ _

____Steeling yourself, you adjust the skullcap on your head and go to answer the door leaving Sans in your bedroom.. Opening it just before Mettaton could knock, surprising the robot a bit. He quickly recovered and gave you a dazzling smile. “Ready to go, beautiful?” His one visible eyebrow quirking up a bit at your odd choice in head wear no doubt. But for now he didn’t ask about it._ _ _ _

____You nod your head earnestly, making sure to wave at Sans who was peeking in at the two of you from your bedroom down the hall. You almost snorted at the way only the top half of his skull was peering out. It looked really childish. The dork._ _ _ _

____Turning back around and locking the door behind, you follow Mettaton to his normal car and eagerly slide into the passenger seat. No limo this time meaning he didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. The robot star was already trying to make this about the two of you as much as possible._ _ _ _

____Feeling your SOUL swell in your chest you nodded to yourself in the rear view mirror as Mettaton got into the driver’s seat. If he was going to go the extra length to make this date awesome then you would be damned if kitty ears were going to get in your way._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could someone please draw me a sassy jersey girl Sans? PLLLLEEEAAASSEEE?


	63. Underfell finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll are either gonna love me or hate me but be prepared for 3 chapter uploads today.

A large hallway stood before you. Beyond you could see the exit. The exit to The Underground. The surface. It looked like you could just walk right out but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. This room that laid past the throne room buzzed with magical energy. The air was heavy because it was so thick. It almost made it hard to breathe. Almost. The barrier pulsed, sending a wave of white light down the cavern only to fade out. Repeating the process in an endless loop.

It was intimidating. Scary, even. Yet, at the same time it held an ancient, mystical and mysterious quality to it. That, if you had a free hand, you would have reached out and attempted to touch it. Instead, your hands were claimed by two almost identical, small children. The Frisk from your world currently held claim to your right hand whereas the Frisk from this, much more violent, version of your world claimed your left. Together, the three of you stood hand in hand in front of the barrier. All of the monsters bunched up behind you.

Just past both of the Frisks were 6 tubes. Three on each side. Inside each one was a different colored SOUL. When the three of you had arrived at the throne room with the evil looking Papyrus in the lead, Asgore had attempted to attack the three of you only to be stopped. Shocked that the three of you were willing to help out.

It did help that the Toriel from your world kind of bitched him out for trying to kill you though. That had been pretty funny to witness. But when he had tried to attack Toriel, your Asgore had stepped up to defend her. Once again, it was funny to see the shocked expression on his face to see an alternate version of himself. After that he had been a little more calm and collected.

The Alphys of this world had come prepared. Under the careful, watchful eye of your Sans, all three of you had your SOULs out with penetrating hoses were attached on one end to each of your SOULs. The other end was hooked up to the barrier. It had hurt to have a needle actually inserted into your SOUL but you managed to bite through it. Even though it still hurt a bit. She explained that SOUL power couldn’t be replicated that’s why they had to kill the humans for their SOULs. Since there were three of you, this didn’t need to happen. All she had to do was link a little bit of your SOUL’s power to the barrier along with the 6 SOULs. Essentially making a seventh through the combined efforts of both the Frisks and yourself. Then all three of you had to chant the words and poof. Barrier broken. Though they were taking more of the heavy lifting. Your SOUL was too fragile to take on as much. Still. They couldn’t have done it without risking both of the kids’ lives if you hadn’t of been there. You being here made it possible for all three of you to get out of this alive. Probably extremely tired for awhile but alive.

Alphys finished hooking up the trapped SOULs giving everyone a thumbs up. “T-that should do it. J-Just start chanting whenever you three are ready.” 

You looked at the two children who held your hands and they both nodded. Releasing your hands, the two children started to chant with you signing in perfect sync with them. This was the only issue that you had been worried about. Magic was a fickle thing for humans. It has all but vanished from your world yet at some point humans had the ability. Unlike monsters, humans had to do specific rituals and chant certain phrases, words, or syllables to get it to work properly. Since you couldn’t actually speak…you were worried that the chant wouldn’t work.

It was this world’s Asgore who had assured you that as long as you thought the words in tandem while signing, the result would be fine. His calm demeanor…confused you. Ever since you had arrived in this world, everyone had been telling you on how ruthless a ruler this Asgore was. Ever since the death of his children and Toriel leaving him (which you assumed had happened to the ones in your universe and you refused to pry into the matter), he despised humans so much that he would kill them on the spot. Then again, he may only be playing nice just until the barrier broke. Needless to say, you weren’t the only one who didn’t trust the guy. None of the monster friends from your universe trusted him either.

As you continued to sign along in perfect sync with the Frisks, you felt a slightly painful tugging on your SOUL. The pain didn’t last but then you slowly began to feel as though something vital was draining out of your body. You looked down and watched as a purple glowing essence trailed down the tube that was connected to the floating heart in front of your chest. It followed the linear path down to the spot where your tube connects to that of the two younger children. The moment the two vibrant reds connected with the glowing purple at the barrier everything burst.

All of the SOUL colors swirled around the barrier until they fused into a solid bright white. At first, it was subtle. The tiniest hairline fractures spider webbed across the barrier’s surface. Then it kind of stagnated. You glanced to the Frisks on either side of you and they seemed to have reached the same conclusion. The small amount of SOUL power that the three of you were giving wasn’t enough. You would have to push a little harder. 

They both gave you a worried expression but you shrugged it off. It was already cracking with this small amount. You could handle giving a little more. With your SOUL swelling and glowing at your determination, you pushed more of it’s power down the tube. Watching its journey until it hit the barrier. With a high pitched keening, the tiny fractures grew as the barrier shattered. The magical fragments hitting the floor and evaporating into nothing. 

You did it.

The barrier was gone.

Your hands dropped to your sides as you fell to your knees from the excursion. The two children mimicking in their own way. All three of you were panting and covered in sweat. But you weren’t getting any better. If anything the three of you were getting worse.

“Hang on, sweethearts. We got you.” Mettaton and your Sans stepped around until they were in front of you. It was then that you realized that the tubes were still sucking on your SOULs even though the barrier was broken. Basically, they were now just draining the life out of you. 

The stout skeleton worked fast. Removing the tubes with as minimal pain to you three as possible while Mettaton pushed your SOULs back within. The effect was almost instantaneous. You crumpled to the floor feeling as though you had just ran 20 marathons. It seemed as though the Frisks were feeling a similar fate if their moans and groans were an indication. You didn’t even know where the other 6 SOULs went.

“Songbird..? Are you alright?” Mettaton’s voice was low as you felt yourself being lifted off the ground. Your body in too much pain to even protest. Resting your head against his shiny shoulder pad, you very slowly nodded your head. Though it was barely any movement at all. It hurt to much to move. 

Your Sans scratched the back of his skull absently while giving the three of you an apologetic look. “Yeah… you three are gonna need some monster, soul food after a stunt like that.” He pulled out some pieces of candy and commenced to put two in each of your mouths. You were already feeling a little better as you rolled them around in your mouth.

Man, you loved monster food.

“It… worked.”

You glanced up to see that all of the residents of Underfell were looking past your small group and out towards the exit of the cave. You didn’t know which one of them had spoken but it didn’t really matter. All of their faces pretty much said the same thing.

Your Toriel moved to pick up her child as the scary Papyrus moved to pick up their Frisk. Then all of the Underfell monsters slowly made their way out of the exit and onto the cliff outside with your group following out behind them.

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was setting and birds flew freely across the vast open sky. The monsters took it all in with wide eyes full of wonder. No words spoken for a good amount of time. You caught all of your friends looking at each other knowingly. Letting their alternates have this moment that they have been suffering so long for.

The monster candy eventually faded and it had done its job. The pain that you felt was still there but not nearly as bad. You could actually move your limbs a bit without it feeling excruciating. Tapping Mettaton’s chest plate weakly, you got his attention and that of your Sans. “So… where is the alternate me?” you signed to them as you all stepped back so that you didn’t break the moment that the others were having. 

Your ragtag group kept going until you were all back in the throne room. “Oh, she’s perfectly safe, gorgeous. Confused but she’s currently being taken care of by Alphys.”

“Speaking of though, when we get ready to head back through, you’ll have to go by yourself this time.” Sans stated while offering you some more monster candy which you happily took. However, you did not like the sound of that and it must have showed on your face. “It’s not because we don’t want to go with you. When you crossed it was when we didn’t have it set so that our alternates wouldn’t switch with us. We don’t know what will happen if you go with one us who didn’t switch originally. It might break something and we don’t need to be finding that out.”

Fair enough. If Sans was scared of it then it was a safe bet that you should be too. Though you were not ready to go universe hopping right now. “What are you going to do about the machine? Are you going to pick up where you left off?” Sans closed his eye sockets in thought at your words and you turned to look at Frisk in Toriel’s arms. It seemed that the monster candy was doing wonders for them as well.

“I THINK YOU SHOULD CONTINUE IT!” Everyone turned to Papyrus who was standing next to Undyne proudly. “THINK ABOUT IT! THIS UNIVERSE IS SCARY BUT THERE COULD BE MUCH WORSE ONES OUT THERE. IF YOU GO BACK TO YOUR RESEARCH THEN YOU COULD SET UP SOME PRECAUTIONS INCASE THEY TRY TO ACCESS OUR UNIVERSE.”

“Paps is right. We lucked out this time. There’s no guarantee that the next ones will be as… understanding.” Undyne had a serious look on her face as she looked at you and you had to suppress a shudder. Yes, you had definitely lucked out. If Underfell Alphys hadn’t deemed you worthless and went to take it out on Crimson there was a high chance you would be dead. The same goes for if you hadn’t of helped him out. If things hadn’t of snowballed the way they had you wouldn’t have survived in this universe for very long.

You were extremely lucky.

Everyone seemed to nod in agreement and Sans let out a heavy sigh. “I would argue this but you’re all right. We’ll have to chat with Alphys to see if we can’t get the machine set up in a more contained room first…” Soon Sans drifted off so that he was just mumbling to himself. You smiled as you settled against Mettaton. Even though this had been a rather scary experience it had turned out okay and if they were going to pick the research back up… then maybe you could go see more universes too.

**

Underfell Special END

**


	64. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

“Sooooo… forgive me, sweetheart, but I have to ask. Why the skull cap?” Mettaton asked as he playfully fingered the hem of the hat on your head until you batted his hand away. Making sure to readjust the skullcap so that it covered your head properly. The robot’s eyes full of amusement as you did.

You settled into your seat and looked out the window on your side of the car for a moment while you tried to decide to go with either Sans daring you or you losing a bet. You had no idea how long these ears were going to last. They might be gone in a few minutes (which would be amazing but if they left as painfully as they came in it wasn’t the best time for it) or it could be hours maybe even days. Wearing a hat for a few days as a dare… probably less likely than if you had lost a bet.

Lost a bet it was.

Fiddling with the seat belt, you let out a sigh before turning to look at Mettaton. “I lost a bet to Sans. So now I have to _skull_ k around in this skull cap for a couple weeks.” Once again, you were still unsure of how long you actually were going to have them but two weeks should be more than enough. Right?

Mettaton’s melodic laughter brought you out of those unsure thoughts as his gaze returned to the road. “Oh lord, what was it this time? And lemme guess… he catches you out of it the next punishment is even worse?”

That last part wasn’t something you had thought of but that was as good an incentive as any. You nodded your head as your mind scrambled to think of the bet conditions until it settled on a recent classic. “We watched a Youtube video of someone attempting to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon and he said that it was easy to do. So I bet him to try… problem was… I forgot to make it a rule that he had to materialize a tongue when he did it.” Your hands signed to him after you snapped your fingers to get his attention.

The robot snickered. “So he just ate a tablespoon of cinnamon without tasting it.”

“Yep.”

“What is the count on these now? Last I remember, Sans had won 15 and you were at 6.”

“It’s getting up there. Don’t worry, I’ll close the gap soon. He won’t be the king of loopholes forever.” You gave a cheeky determined grin to the monster before returning your gaze back out the passenger side window. That had been easier than you thought but you did feel a little bad for lying. Yet, for the moment, it was better than the alternative. “So what is the plan for today?”

Mettaton’s grin broadened. “Well, I hope you don’t mind, gorgeous, but several clients canceled leaving me open for the next two days. We haven’t really gotten a chance to know each other without everyone being around us. So I was hoping that we could spend the next couple days doing just that.”

“Please. You know quite a bit about me.” You signed to him with a playfully snarky look on your face. Though it wasn’t wrong. All the recent events of the past year have made it so that the robot was fairly intimate with your life. Not just because he was curious but because it was a combination of necessity and being in the right place at the right time. You, on the other hand, only know what he had told you in Germany and what you’ve picked up on since. Though you weren’t going to pass up an opportunity like this. “But we may need to go back to the house. I didn’t realize I would need to pack a carry on.”

His hand came up from the steering wheel to suppress some laughter. “Don’t worry about it, Songbird. I’ve already prepared one for you. It’s in the back seat.” You arched an eyebrow at him curiously before fighting against the seat belt so that you can look into the seat behind yours.

Sure enough, a cute black and pink backpack was laying on its side next to a slightly bigger black one. You reached back and pulled it into your lap before going through it. Inside, there was a couple outfits along with a brush, toothbrush, and toothpaste. All of it neatly folded and packed in such a way you felt guilty that you may be messing up its perfection later. However, you recognized these clothes. They weren’t new. “Where and when did you get some of my clothes?” You turned back to sign over the back pack in your lap.

“Oh please, Darling. Don’t give me that look.” Mettaton chuckled out, his eyes filled with mirth. “You’ve been staying over in my suite practically every time you would need to stay at the resort for the past month. Not that I’m complaining, you are quite the little cuddler.” He sent you a playful wink that had a bright blush flushing across your face. “I swear my closet is more your clothes than mine.”

You highly doubted that but he wasn’t wrong about the sleeping over part. What could you say? His bed was comfy, especially since it was made to support his metal body so it was extremely plush and soft, yet firm. Now that you thought about it Alphys probably custom made it for him because there was no way a human furniture store would have something that would work for him. The scientist should open her own shop. She’d make millions with her designs. It was just a wonderful bonus that he often cuddled with you whenever he finished with work. 

Your thoughts carried back to the last few times you’ve stayed over and you blanched at the memories. The last few times you may have gotten too comfortable. You weren’t a slob but you hadn’t been the cleanest guest even if you were his girlfriend. It was one thing to be at your house but this was his and you weren’t sure how to act in it yet. The whole thing was all new territory. “Sorry… From now on I’ll be a bit more careful where I leave everything.”

He waved his hand dismissively at you. “Don’t be, beautiful. With you having your things strewn about, the penthouse doesn’t look like a magazine ad. It actually looks lived in… It’s rather nice.” The last part he barely spoke above a whisper but your ears still managed to catch it. 

Now that you thought of it, what did Mettaton do in his off time when he wasn’t acting, hosting, singing, or whatever else he was involved in? Ever since he met you, you’ve become his priority on his off days and lately on the days he works as well. It was unfortunate that almost your entire relationship revolved on how open his schedule was though he had proven on more than one occasion that would clear it just to hang out with you or go out to do something with you. But one or a bunch of your friends would often end up tagging along so it was never just the two of you. Until that one time at the mall and today.

Still, did he just hang out bored in his penthouse? Or did he just add more work so that it wasn’t really off time? Was that why he was so actively involved in so many different things? Was it just an attempt to keep himself busy to delay the fact that he would eventually have to stop and realize he was essentially alone? Or did he just want to try out and be involved with as many things as possible because he can? Even with all of that, he would be surrounded by people but it wasn’t because they wanted to hang out with him, get to know him, or something. They would be there for a purpose and that was to work not socialize. He would be in a crowd but entirely alone.

You felt the ears on the top of your head press against the top of your skull without the help of the headband or skullcap. Before you had met the skelebros or Mettaton you were in the opposite position as him. Instead of surrounding yourself with others, you had slowly begun withdrawing into your shell of a house and ignoring everyone else. It didn’t help that your family and friends kind of went along with it so easily to the point that they either moved on or both parties aren’t sure who should try to make the attempt to initiate contact first. So that you both were stuck in this weird elusive limbo where half ass attempts were made but often backed out of at the last second. You couldn’t just blame your parents or friends either. You had an active role in it as well. It just wasn’t fun to think about.

Zipping up the backpack and putting it in the backseat, you got comfortable in your spot while eyeing Mettaton out of your peripheral vision. Silence had descended upon you two as he refocused on the road and whatever destination that he held in store. It wasn’t uncomfortable but it was a bit too heavy for your liking.

The robot’s right hand rested on the console that separated the driver’s and passenger seat with his other on the wheel. Your hand snaked out and you intertwined your fingers with his. Giving his hand a light reassuring squeeze. He, immediately, returned it and the slight heaviness in the air seemed to dissipate as the ghost monster relaxed. The silence was much more companionable and you let the conversation die there. Even though, he hadn’t exactly answered your question. If he wanted to tell you about his plans for the next couple of days, he would. You were completely okay leaving it a surprise.

Soon the suburbs that you lived in morphed into the interstate and then the country as Mettaton guided the car without a GPS. At one point, you had turned on the radio and the two of you had sung along to the top hits channel that Mettaton had it set too. Well, he sang. You lip synced. 

You had been rolling when a Taylor Swift song popped on and instead of singing it in the traditional sense he had sung it like a punk rocker. You didn’t know that he could sing like that but it was phenomenal. It didn’t just happen with that one either. Every pop song that popped on he turned into a punk rendition and it was hilarious as much as it was good. You rolled in the passenger’s seat silently laughing at his current cover of Call Me Maybe that tears were threatening to fall. Whenever the _Call Me Maybe_ line popped up he would sing it in a punk screamo way and you almost busted your gut each time he did it.

As the song petered off, you clung to his arm while lightly hitting his chest plate. Silently begging him to stop so that you could breathe. Your head was starting to ache because of the lack of oxygen to your brain. “Please. Please. Mercy. _Mercy!_ ” You barely managed to sign it as you buried your face into his side. The vibrations of his laughter rumbling from within his chest.

“Okay, okay, sweetheart. I’ll _spare_ you. But only because we are almost at the hotel.” Mettaton was still laughing as he extended his arm and turned the music down. This had you perking up as you came down from your laughing high. The country had long since been left behind and turned into a quaint little town. In the background, a large mountain towered over it all. 

It was a beautiful day and people were all walking out and about. There seemed to be even more monsters here than what you were used too. The sun was starting to dip behind the horizon. Mettaton pulled into a parking lot and found a good spot. You both stepped out of the car with the robot taking the backpack from you when you tried to shoulder it from the backseat.

Well, he tried. 

Mettaton held the your backpack high with you dangling from the handles as you held on tight when he had lifted it while his was already shouldered. Childishly, you kicked your legs knowing fully well that your feet wouldn’t be able to hit the ground. He held you about a foot aloft not high enough to do any damage if you let go but high enough that your feet wouldn’t get any leverage. “C’mon, Darling. I can carry it.”

So could you. It wasn’t that heavy to begin with. You shook your head and refused to let go while sticking your tongue at him in defiance. There wasn’t much more you could do since your hands were occupied.

A mischievous smirk formed across Mettaton’s lips as he leaned in so fast you barely had time to register what was happening. Before you could pull it back, the robot caught your tongue between his teeth and gently bit it a couple of times. You quickly withdrew it when he let up, while releasing the backpack to clap your hands over your mouth, as your feet hit the ground and you stumbled back a couple steps blushing furiously.

The idol straightened up while holding the backpack effectively out of your reach with a victorious glint in his eyes. Your eyes narrowed at him. “That was dirty.”

“Actually, I did say that if you kept your tongue out I’d take it as an opportunity to bite it.” At the end, he made a point of giving you a big toothy smile. His canines elongated and you had to fight back the chill that wanted to creep up your spine.

“You said that like five weeks ago!” Your hands signed and you somehow managed to hide the fact that they shook a tiny bit. He had said it but you thought that he had been just teasing you in front of BP during the practice.

With the grin ever present, he just shrugged. “It’s your own fault for forgetting, beautiful. Come along now, we should check in so that we can explore for a bit before it gets dark.” You could feel the playful smugness radiating off of him as he headed towards the entrance to the lobby. Leaving you to take a moment to get your pounding heart and emotions under control so you didn’t look like a complete tomato when you walked in after him.

As he spoke to the receptionist, you hung back to take in the place. It wasn’t the fanciest hotel but with the town as small as it was the place was pretty nice. The entire room had that small town feel to it and it was only proven with the decor. There were lots of framed newspaper articles of big local events throughout the years. The local school football team going to state, newly elected mayor, monsters being freed from under the mountain that this place was at the base of…

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise at reading the most recently framed newspaper. It was set so that you could see the front page. MONSTERS FREED FROM MT.EBOTT were in bold capital letters and the headline with a large picture of a group of monsters and a human taking up the rest of the available space. All of your new monster friends were in it. Mettaton, Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne, Toriel, Asgore, and Frisk… they were posed for the camera with bright smiles on all of their faces.

You were in Ebott. This is where Mettaton had come from. His home. Why had you not realized that sooner? Oh yeah… you were laughing to hard at the robot idol’s punk goes pop renditions to notice. When he had told you that he wanted to take the next couple of days to get to know each other better, he hadn’t been kidding.

“Songbird~ I have the room keys!” the robot monster’s singing voice called out from behind you. Stepping away from the wall of framed papers, you followed Mettaton to a couple flights of stairs and started ascending them side by side. “Okay… So… Sweetheart… I feel that I need to warn you of this before we get to the room…” you cocked an eyebrow at him but he continued on as if he didn’t even notice. “When I was looking for housing just getting a room with two queen beds was fairly decent but since Valentine’s day is tomorrow they were running a deal.”

“A deal?” you signed as curiosity began to get the better of you while feeling a slight pang of guilt. Valentine’s day… you had forgotten completely about it. You had nothing planned for him and here he was going all out and planning things for the next couple of days. First chance you got, you needed to get or think of something.

Mettaton was now actively trying to avoid eye contact and there was a faint dusting of pink across the synthetic skin on his face. “Yes… a deal. For about fifty dollars more, we could get a room with a king size bed and a Jacuzzi.” He was now making it a point to stare at the wall as your stomach did back flips.

A Jacuzzi? As in an awesome hot tub with water jets and bubbles? A giddy smile made it’s way across your face as you began to bounce in excitement. You get to play with a hot tub for the next couple of days?! How awesome was that? Your energetic response seemed to pull Mettaton out of his funk a little bit but it was still there. “I’ve never been in one before! This is going to be awesome! What are you so worried about?” You got to the final landing before he did as energy pulsed through your body.

“Well, gorgeous,… I swear that I didn’t know this until after I had booked but… since it is a Valentine’s deal… the Jacuzzi is in the shape of a heart.” He stopped in front of the room that was supposed to be yours for the next couple of nights. His hand frozen above the handle after swiping the keycard to unlock the room.

Your blush was back but not nearly as bad as what it had been before. The hot tub… was in the shape of a heart? You shouldn’t be surprised since it was a Valentine’s package but you now understood why Mettaton was so embarrassed. Still… For fifty bucks more… you got a hot tub. Who wouldn’t take that deal? To break the awkward air between you two, you hugged Mettaton from behind and buried your face into his back under the switch. He relaxed under your hold, opening the door in a fluid motion. You released him and followed the robot inside.

The room, itself, wasn’t that impressive. Though to a town this size it was probably luxurious. Large bed, large TV, a desk, and a mini kitchen with a balcony. There was a closed room off to the side and you guessed it was the bathroom. Your eyes went back to the bed and before he could say anything, you took a running start and launched yourself onto the bed. The nicely made bed destroyed as the pillows bounced high in the air and the bedding rumpled under the abrupt movement.

Mettaton chuckled at your antics while shaking his head. “Must you do that on every bed you see?”

“Yes. It would be an insult if I didn’t.” You signed after rolling onto your back. The bed was nice but the one in Mettaton’s penthouse still ranked number one in your opinion.

“To who, exactly?” The robot idol closed the door and moved to set the backpack on the bed with his heavier looking one on the floor.

“I don’t know but I can find out if I tried.” Rolling on your side, you gave him a shit eating grin.

“True.” He continued to shake his head as he sat on the edge of the bed.

You watched him in silence for a few moments before you clicked your tongue to get his attention. “Question.”

“Shoot.”

“Can you even get in the hot tub?” You weren’t trying to be offensive but the guy’s body was entirely made up of magic and circuitry. Rain didn’t seem to bother him to much but it would if he was out in it for an extended period.

“Of course, I can. Though I would probably short circuit.” Mettaton stated with a shrug. “I don’t know how well Alphys waterproofed my chasis the last time I was there. So submerging myself probably wouldn’t be the best idea.”

“Would it be a _shocking_ experience?”

“Oh, shut up.” You rolled out of the way silently giggling as Mettaton gently swiped at you after you signed the pun. “Anyway, I figured we could order something for dinner and chill here for tonight then tomorrow we could explore the town with a small trek on the mountain the day after.”

“That sounds good to me.” You flashed him a grin before looking away feeling a bit shy. “Thanks for setting all this up. I think the next couple of days will be great.”

“Me too.”


	65. Underswap 1

 

“I-I can’t b-believe that worked.”

“i can’t believe that worked either.”

“I can’t believe whatever it is you two can’t believe.” The automated voice from your phone cut into the two monsters’ reverie as you sat behind them in a wheelie office chair looking at the machine that had once sent you to a different universe. Sans and Alphys both jumping at the robotic voice. Ever since you all have safely gotten back from the universe self-deemed ‘Underfell’, the two scientists have gone into full swing into their old research.

The room that housed the old machine had been properly cleared out and turned back into a proper lab. Originally, both Sans and Alphys had been too afraid to move the machine for fear that they might break it or mess up whatever Crimson had done to get it working in the first place. Sure, they figured out how to travel to another universe without switching with its version of you but that was based off of what Crimson had already set the machine up to do. They were still figuring out how to calibrate it and see other universes.

Until today.

“T-This is amazing! A-an e-entirely new undiscovered universe!” Alphys was squealing in excitement while clutching her clipboard tightly to her chest. Above the machine was a large monitor and with it you could actually sort of see into the other universe. The image was still staticy but it was significantly better than nothing. This was it. A brand new world. Multiverse theory double confirmed.

You brought your phone back and typed out something else for it to say. Your friends were too distracted by their hard work to look back and read your hands. You figured you could give them a break and let them soak in the moment. “So how did you get it to not just pick up on Crimson’s universe?” the automated voice spoke for you and it was Sans who broke out of his awed stupor first.

“it was easier than we thought actually. they based their system on their own magic. what the machine does is reach out into the void and beyond in search of magic that is similar to it.” Sans spoke fast. He was so excited that he could barely contain himself. You couldn’t help but smile. It was rare that you got to see him so passionate about something. “what the machine was locked on was Underfell Mettaton’s magic. all we had to do was clear out that setting and insert our own.”

“So who’s magic is it tracking?” you signed to him now that he was actually looking at you instead of the machine.

The pinpricks in Sans’s eye sockets grew brighter at your questions. “mine. my magic deals with the void on a rather frequent basis. we figured that if we used mine it’ll make it easier to search.” He then gestured to the monitor and the other machines giving out endless amounts of data. “as you can see it clearly worked.”

“What now?” you cocked a curious eyebrow at Sans as your hands signed it. Yes, with this, the multiverse theory has been proven true (which is mind boggling in its own right) and that had been the original goal. That and find a way so that other universes couldn’t access yours through the machine. There was an infinite number of universes out there and Underfell proved that not all are going to be nice. What if one that was made up of just murderers decided to pop by? You shuddered at the thought while rubbing the goose bumps that popped up on your arms. That was something that you didn’t want to think about.

“well… i kind of want to send someone over to check it out. it looks safe enough from what the readouts sa-” Sans cuts off when you raise your hand as if to volunteer. You waved it back and forth earnestly while bouncing in your seat.

Did you want to see a new universe? Yes. Was Underfell scary? Absolutely, but you had proven that you could handle yourself in a tough situation. (Sometimes you still dreamt about when you accidentally threw Underfell Alphys. That had been unintentional and you kind of felt bad about it.) It also turned out fairly well and you had made a new friend. (Alphys had remade your cellphone so that you could text Crimson in his timeline from yours. How cool was that?) You would happily go to a new one. Though you should probably tell Mettaton what you were doing so that he didn’t murder Sans and Alphys. 

They were the only way you could get back.

“I-I d-don’t know… w-we don’t know w-what that universe i-is like…” the yellow monster finally spoke up and you almost fell out of your seat because you had forgotten she was still in the room.

“i can’t go though. my magic is what needs to be used to ensure a safe passage back in the off chance something happens. you can’t go alph because it’ll take two of us to ensure the machine is working. at least, the first time around.” You were leaning towards the two monsters with bright eyes at every word that Sans spoke. Other than these two, you were the only one here. You looked at Alphys with the best set of puppy eyes you could muster.

Alphys looked between you and Sans before she let out a heavy sigh signaling that she had caved in. “F-fine… I know you’re right Sans b-but I don’t like the idea of sending (y/n) without any guidance. O-once she gets t-there, she’ll h-have to g-get their machine in working o-order. T-that or one of us will h-have to go through after she at l-least sets up a w-waypoint.”

“don’t worry, alph. you thought i was going to send ‘er in with just her bare hands? naw. c’mon, kiddo. i’m gonna show you how to make a waypoint and a few other things before you journey into the great unknown.” Sans gestured for you to follow him and you were out of your seat at his heels faster than a kid on a sugar high.

It took about an hour but overall everything he had shown you was fairly easy stuff. You shouldered the small pack of things that he had given you. There were 5 vials of his magic that would be used to create a waypoint and to set up the other machine so that you could go back home, instructions on how to make a waypoint (in case you forgot), step by step instructions to get the machine in enough working order to have one of them pop over and finish it, a whoopie cushion (you didn’t ask why. Just laughed and accepted your fate.), and 10 capsule things that he had told you to keep on your person at all times and make sure that you only use those if you felt like you were in danger. The about to die with no way out kind.

You made sure to throw in your phone charger and that your phone had a full battery. With the upgrades Alphys put on it, you weren’t worried about not being able to contact them. If you were able to contact Crimson, then you should be able to contact them in the new universe. Some monster candy was thrown in. Lastly, he had dressed you in some semi-warm attire. Hugging the jacket you had on, you flashed him a big excited smile. “So is this everything?” Your hands shook a little from all the excited energy but you didn’t care if they noticed or not.

“yep. alright, when you make it to the otherside, i want you to message us immediately and tell us what kind of environment you are in.” Sans’s smile dropped a little bit as his tone got serious towards the end. You nodded your head. What else were you planning on doing? “now… since my magic is different than what was originally used and pending on where their machine is, you may pop out of the machine but there is a small chance that you’ll probably pop out nearby that universe’s version of me. regardless… be careful.”

Once again, you nodded your head before flashing him a reassuring smile at the end. Turning on your heel, you made your way over to the machine and clambered into the chamber, making sure that the glass door was closed behind you. There was no way that you wanted to accidentally drag something with you that shouldn’t be dragged in. 

Alphys was already at her post, typing away on the keyboard. Sans stood off to the side of the machine where he inserted a new vial of his magic into the designated port. He pushed a few more buttons and the machine came to life. The white light and sick feeling began to grow as the machine did its thing. You closed your eyes as the nausea reached its peek.

You felt yourself falling and you clung onto the little pack for dear life. This was not the same experience as before. It still felt wrong. Like you were being torn from the place you belonged but what was happening was an entirely new sensation. It felt like the machine had become conflicted in its destination. Your body was being pulled in three different directions, as if there were three possible places that fit Sans’s magic, and it was starting to get painful. You couldn’t keep doing this so you picked the one that you were being dragged closest to and tried to push yourself in that direction.

That seemed to help the machine make its decision. The other two points that were pulling on your body eased up as you shot towards the one that you had chosen. Mentally, hoping that you somehow picked the right one. You weren’t sure what this universe’s Sans would be like. Maybe he’ll be nice? What was this version’s Mettaton be? A bubble of excitement burst within your being despite the fact you now truly felt like you were falling. The wind was blowing your hair in all different directions and it was freezing.

Wait… wind?

Your eyes snapped open and you silently screamed as you hurtled towards the white capped ground. You were falling. You were FALLING! Taking a couple of breaths to calm yourself, you screwed your eyes shut and braced for impact. Praying that the ground below you was soft.

You heard it before you felt it. The snow crunched around you as your body crashed into it. The powdery water flying all around. A pulsing ache followed throughout your body soon after and you rolled onto your side with a silent groan. Thank God the snow had broken your fall. There was no doubt that you would have died otherwise. Looks like you needed to talk to Sans about this because that could have been very bad.

Burying your face into the snow, you didn’t care about the cold that was seeping into your body. It was actually helping alleviate the pain a small bit and you used it to help you calm your mind and collect your bearings. Sans and Alphys could deal for a couple moments.

“OH MY GOSH! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!”

Immediately, your head shot up towards the source of the voice. There was no mistaking that tone though you have never heard it so loud before. Running towards you, in a gap between the large pine trees that seemed to disappear into the gray cloudy overcast, was a small skeleton. A small skeleton that looked almost identical to your best friend. The little guy was soon on his knees next to you eyeing your form with bright blue eye lights that were full of concern. Though they quickly morphed into excitement as he got a good look at you. “OH… OH MY GOSH! ARE YOU A HUMAN?”

His loud voice made your head ache but somehow you managed to stop yourself from wincing. It was probably because you had a lot of practice with Papyrus at home though the tall skeleton was getting better with his indoor voice. Slowly, you sat up while holding a finger up to the small skeleton to tell him to give you a moment. The little guy was rather patient but what surprised you was that he moved to help you into a more comfortable sitting position. Once settled, you nodded your head to his question while rummaging around in the pack for a monster candy. Popping it in your mouth only for the dull aches to melt away almost immediately.

Monster food rules.

“I KNEW IT! I CAN’T BELIEVE MY LUCK. I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, HAVE CAPTURED 2 HUMANS IN THE SPAN OF A COUPLE DAYS!” The small skeleton stood up proudly. His light blue scarf that turned into a cape flapped out behind him. Now that you got a good look at him, this Sans was about 2 feet shorter than yours. Not only was this Sans loud like your Papyrus but he also kind of dressed like him too. At least, the old way he dressed. The little guy wore shoulder pads with a gray shirt and black pants. Blue gloves reached to his elbows and he had boots that matched.

Little Sans was buzzing in excitement and you couldn’t help but smile. Even if the reason why he was happy was because he was ‘capturing’ you. It didn’t look like this guy could harm a fly.

“MWEH HEH HEH! COME ALONG, HUMAN! YOU MUST BE COLD JUST SITTING THERE AND THE MAGNIFICENT SANS IS A GREAT HOST! LET ME TAKE YOU HOME SO THAT YOU CAN WARM UP!” The small skeleton reached out to take your hand and you held up another finger to stop him in his tracks.

“Do you mind if I do something first?” the automated voice on your phone asked for you after you pulled it out and typed it in. You didn’t know if this Sans was fluent in ASL or not so you went with the easiest route.

“OF COURSE, HUMAN! CAN I HELP?” His round blue eye lights morphed into stars and you couldn’t help but silently giggle at the adorableness of it all.

“Sure thing just be careful because this stuff is delicate.” You went about digging for all the stuff to make a waypoint. It was best to make it now instead of at the little skeleton’s house. You didn’t want random people just appearing in there. That would be rather rude. With yours and Sans’s combined efforts, a bright little star like light formed on the ground. You nodded your head in satisfaction. It looked just like the picture that your Sans had described during that hour briefing. Now that the access point was secure on this end all you had to do was wait for them to finish whatever they were doing on their side.

The little Sans was in awe and the starred pupils haven’t vanished since they appeared. “THIS IS PRETTY, HUMAN! IS THIS YOUR KIND OF MAGIC?”

“Kind of…?” you let the phone say for you as you mulled it over. You did have to use magic in order to make it but it wasn’t your magic (if you even had any) that you had used.

“THAT IS AMAZING!” However, this Sans appeared to be easily pleased and you took it at that. No point in scaring him off just yet or breaking his skull with the details of how you got here in the first place. You still weren’t 100% sure on how you had. That sensation of being pulled in 3 directions was just weird.

“hey, bro! you okay… out… here…”

The both of you whirled around at the new voice and your eyes widened in surprise. A tall skeleton stood a little ways from you and… he looked like Papyrus… only with Sans sense of style and mood. The monster wore an orange hoodie and a pair of black cargo shorts with reddish-orange high top sneakers. His posture was slouched in a more relaxed manner but you have been around Sans enough to tell that the guy looked very tense. A lollipop in his mouth. His eye sockets roamed over your form as if to gauge just how dangerous you are before taking a glance at his brother. 

“I AM PERFECTLY FINE! THE MAGNIFICENT SANS CAN NEVER BE HURT THAT EASILY. I JUST CAME TO INVESTIGATE THAT BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT THAT CAUSED A CRACK TO OPEN IN THE SKY AND WHEN I ARRIVED I FOUND THIS WEIRD NICE HUMAN.” Little Sans bounced next to you as he spoke.

Gee thanks for that. Though you would probably find it weird too if someone appeared out of a crack in the sky. Turning, you gave the new arrival your full attention which included a smile and a small wave. The tall skeleton’s eye sockets narrowed and you tried to ignore this ominous feeling that was crawling up your back.

This was going to be fun wasn’t it?


	66. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone! There is still 1-2 more parts to this even though it is part of the main story. i could have threw it all into one but it would have been REALLY long.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway word count: 4153

The sun rose just beyond the horizon and its rays cut through the gaps in the curtains illuminating your hotel room. Mettaton’s body was framed by the light as he provided an indirect buffer between the sun and your eyes. However, the sun wasn’t the one to awaken you. Despite feeling tired the night before, due to the really long drive, the uncontained ball of energy within had prevented you from managing to sleep more than a couple of hours.

You felt like a kid on Christmas day. Unending amounts of energy was pulsing through your veins making it impossible to remain still. Your boyfriend seemed to be your complete opposite. He had conked out almost immediately when his head hit the pillow whereas you rolled around under the covers restless. All of your movements completely unnoticed to the zonked out robot.

Now that the sun was officially rising, you felt that you didn’t have to lounge around in the bed anymore. It was now morning and since there was light Mettaton couldn’t argue that it was night anymore. Maybe a bath would help calm you down a bit.

Carefully squirming out from the cage that was the robot idol’s arms, you got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. The skullcap on your head was hiked up in some places so you quickly fixed it. The ears wriggled uncomfortably under the headband eliciting a silent grumble on your part. They were still there… You’d have to text Sans and Alphys to let them know. That now makes three days of their existence. Should you start feeling worried about them, yet…?

Ignoring this foreboding feeling that started to prickle up your spine, you made sure to scrounge through your backpack for a fresh outfit and toiletries. Making your way over to the bathroom on tip toe to try and with as little noise as possible. Mettaton’s hearing when he slept was weird as you’ve found out. Sometimes the smallest noise would wake the robot out of the deepest slumber. Then there was the times you could have an entire heavy metal concert playing so loud the dead would rise and he would just roll over unfazed. There was no middle ground just one extreme or the other. So you didn’t want to take your chances on waking him.

Turning the handle so that the latch wouldn’t click, you closed the bathroom door slowly behind you until you felt the wood catch and move no further, releasing the handle quietly when it did. Mission not wake up the robot: Successful.

You set everything you were carrying on the bathroom counter before pulling the skullcap and headband off in one go. The ears sprang up and you sighed in relief. Stretching them by moving them in different directions now that they were free from the constricting cloth. You basked in this odd sense of freedom before looking around the room until your eyes settled on the thing that you were excited about.

The _Jacuzzi_.

Mettaton hadn’t been lying. It was a deep crimson red in the shape of a heart with lots of space around the edges to place candles, shampoo, or whatever else you wanted to sit on the edge of a tub. There was a small laminated pamphlet on the wall with directions on how to get it set up and you went about doing just that.

Soon the heart-shaped tub was filled with warm water and you were pulling off your clothes eager to jump into the jet streams. In the off chance something happened or someone texted you with urgent news, you sat your phone on the edge towards the wall as you positioned your back in front of one of the jets.

Your body melted.

Within the warm bubbly water, you became a giant human puddle as the jets worked their magic on your tense muscles that you hadn’t realized had been so tense in the first place. All the energy that you had before seemed to fade away as you relaxed. Your body drifting lower and lower until just your head was above water. You would have allowed yourself to completely submerge if it wasn’t for the fact that you were afraid to get water in the cat ears on the top of your head. You didn’t know what an ear ache from them would feel like and you weren’t about to find out.

Exhaustion crept up your body to replace the energy that had left and you let out a contented sigh as your eyes drifted closed. This… was so nice…

 

“SONGBIRD!”

You silently shrieked in surprise with your eyes shooting open as the bathroom door was kicked in. Ears perked up and alert. Mettaton stood in the doorway with a blush that was rapidly increasing in darkness. You ducked under the water so that only your head showed above the rim of the tub. Your scarlet hue starting to match his.

An awkward silence fell as you both looked at each other but both of you were too afraid to say anything. Finally, you broke the stalemate by raising a hand from the water and giving him a meek unsure wave. Your eyes giving off a confused look to him as to why he felt the urgent need to kick open the door. Which was thankfully still attached to its hinges.

He seemed to recover a bit and turned around in embarrassment so that his back was now to you. “S-sorry… about that. Its just that you’ve been in here for a long time and I was worried something might have happened.” You could hear the embarrassed stutter in his voice, despite his cool facade, and fought back a giggle.

Wiping your hand off on the dry washcloth, you grabbed your phone to find that there were several calls and texts on it from Mettaton. You erased them all so that you could shoot a text to him since he was gentleman enough to keep his back turned. Wondering how you could have missed so many messages and checked to see if your phone was on silent.

**XXX-XXX-XXX  
 _Water_ you talking about?**

 

Somehow he was able to suppress a snort at your text but you still managed to catch the first part. His tense posture relaxing a bit now that he knew you were alright. “When I woke up you weren’t there and I had assumed you had went to the bathroom. I waited patiently but after a couple of hours I got a little worried when you hadn’t come out and the fact that I haven’t heard anything but the tub the entire time.”

A couple hours?! You sat the phone on the edge and looked at your hands. Your fingertips were so pruney they looked like they were an old person’s not yours. The jets in the tub continued on without hindrance and the hot tub had kept the water warm the entire time. You must have fallen asleep from the combination of relaxation and exhaustion from not sleeping well. Still a couple of hours wasn’t a good time frame. You didn’t know when the robot idol had woken up.

Picking your phone back up and unlocking it, you almost dropped it in the tub in surprise. It was 9am. The sun had begun to rise at 5. You’ve been in this tub for FOUR hours. No wonder your hands looked like that. Not only that, your body was protesting your movements from being in the warm water too long. You wouldn’t be surprised if you felt dizzy when trying to get out because of the water raising your body’s temperature.

Well, this was a wonderful way to kick off your couple of days of hanging out.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Sorry about worrying you. I don’t want to _dampen_ the mood but do you mind heading outside so I can get dressed?**

Your cheeks were flushed as you sent it and you knew you couldn’t entirely blame the warm water for it. A ding was heard from somewhere within Mettaton’s body and he immediately stood straighter. “R-right! I am so sorry! P-please excuse me!” His arm reached back and pulled the bathroom door behind him as he got out of there as quickly as his robot limbs would allow. The robot’s embarrassed voice channeling his inner Alphys.

You couldn't help but grin at the way he was acting. It was adorably sweet. Wrapping your phone in the slightly damp wash cloth and setting it as far from the water on the edge as possible, you went about the slow process of getting out of the tub without slipping and falling because of your body protesting the entire time.

Yet, somehow you manage and soon you are walking out of the steamed up room while brushing your hair, fully dressed. Phone now safely in your pocket and away from possible water damage. 

Mettaton was sitting on the edge of the bed with his face eyeing the floor. You moved to sit next to him and he jumped so bad that he almost fell off but was able to recover. He stood up. Walking a couple feet away and you couldn’t help but feel a little hurt by his actions. Had you done something wrong?

Before you could ask, the robot began to speak. “Songbird. I am so SO sorry. I did not mean to.. I-I was worried that you slipped and fell o-or something like that when you didn’t respond to the messages or me knocking on the door. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusio-” The normally completely sure and suave robot monster was an embarrassed stumbling mess. He tried a couple of more times to apologize and you waited until he finally turned around so you could respond.

Sure, it had been embarrassing for that to happen. But it wasn’t like he had kicked the door in just to see you naked. Being gone that long in a bathroom without any kind of response would normally be cause for concern. You probably would have done the same thing. Clapping your hands, you cut him off as you gained his attention. “Stop apologizing. There is nothing you need to apologize for. I’m not mad.” Your hands signed with fluid movements.

“You’re… You’re not…?” Mettaton’s worried expression morphed into confusion. “But I-”

“You kicked in a door because I hadn’t responded after a couple hours when I normally would have. You were worried. Probably scared. I would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed. Its alright.” You made sure to give him a relaxed smile the entire time.

Relief filled his eyes as he let out a big sigh. “Oh thank God… I just… Let’s just forget this ever happened shall we..? The last thing we need is Undyne and Alphys finding out about this. We’ll never hear the end of it.” True that. They would persist until your death and even then find out a way to bug you in the great beyond. You nodded your head earnestly. Mettaton’s smile was warm until his eyebrow crooked up and you felt like you may have some food stuck in your teeth or something on your face with the way he was looking at you.

“Uh… Mettaton?” Your eyebrow mirrored his with a confused expression on your face. “Is there something wrong…?”

“What are those?”

“Those what?”

“Gorgeous… are those cat ears?” At his words, your hands shot up to the top of your head and the blood drained from your face as you realized that during all the hubbub earlier you had forgotten to put on the headband and the skullcap. The cat ears were fully exposed in all their adorable glory. “ _Skull_ k around, hm?” Mettaton put both his hands on his hips waiting for the explanation that he knew would come. He didn’t need to directly ask.

Your shoulders sank and you hung your head in defeat. This was something that you had hoped to avoid but somehow knew he would find out about eventually. You just were surprised that it was so soon. So you raised your hands and explained everything. How Alphys was giving you a SOUL supplement (which he knew about) and that you had ran out so you had gone to the university to get more. How you weren’t sure which of the two concoctions you should drink so you went with the one closest in color to what you had been drinking. Then poof. Kitty ears. Mettaton stood silently the entire time and you fought the urge to look up as you finished your tale with your hands dropping into your lap. Awaiting your fate.

“Songbird…”

You reflexively flinched as the dread that had begun to creep up your spine increased. Your eyes watched as his neon pink legs walked over to you.

“Songbird…”

This was it. You were going to have to cancel the date and go home until Alphys figured out what was wrong as to why the ears were still there. All of this planning and set up would be for nothing. It was all your fault. Why hadn’t you just asked?!

“Songbird…?”

A gentle hand caressed one of your ears and it twitched away from the hand when it sensed your anxiety. That was the only downside of having these ears other than being a date breaker… they made it so that your emotions were completely out in the open. Mettaton’s other hand caught your other ear as he investigated the new additions.

“Songbird…” His voice was so close but you managed to not flinch away. He was right in front of you now. “These… these are absolutely _adorable!_ ”

…what?

You looked up to see a child-like adoration on the robot idol’s face as he played with your ears. He stroked the fur with the grain starting at the base all the way to the point. When he reached the point, he lightly pinched the tip so that he could move them in various directions. Much like Alphys had when she first saw them only he was a lot more gentler about it. 

“You… you aren’t mad…?” Your hands signed to Mettaton once he had pulled away after getting his fill from playing with the kitty ears.

“Oh heavens no! Darling, these have to be the cutest thing I have ever seen. Why on earth would you think I would be mad?” Mirth was written all over his face as your ears laid back when you thought of all the reasons that you had kept them hidden in the first place. Bad publicity for him, Alphys and Sans getting in trouble, slight fear of others judging you along with Mettaton… At every new bad thought, you signed it to him. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around you in a warm hug.”Beautiful, it is sweet that you were worried. True, Alphys should have been a bit more careful where she puts things in her lab and if she hasn’t beaten herself up about it, I’ll be more than happy to give her a stern talking to. But you said it yourself that these aren’t supposed to be permanent. So why not enjoy them while they last? Now if we were back at the studio, I would probably advise covering them up but we are in Ebott. This town has more monster than human population. If anyone asks all we have to say is ‘Alphys’ and they’ll immediately know and won’t care.”

“Really..?” You hadn’t thought about that. Sure, you had noticed that there had been more monsters walking around than humans when you both had driven into town yesterday but the worry about social media still stands.

“Mhmm~ C’mon, gorgeous! We’ve wasted enough time for today. Let’s go walk around town.” Mettaton offered his hand out to you and, without any hesitation, you took it. After locking the hotel room, he led you out of the building and onto the street. People were already out and about minding their own business.

To your surprise, no one gave you a glance. They were more interested in the tall robot monster that you held hands with. Several people came up to say hi but most gave polite waves then continued about their own journey. It was almost completely opposite of the way people act in the city. “Why aren’t we being swamped by everyone?” You finally asked him after you sat down at a little cafe on main street. The walk had felt relatively short but it had been a good distance before you sat down at one of the tables outside the shop.

Mettaton shrugged. “It’s probably because I pretty much know everyone in town. I may not live here anymore but in the few months I did, I made it a point of getting along with as many people as possible. I also stop by whenever I have the chance for an extended period. So compared to the city where its possible to not see the same person ever again, everyone here grew used to me so it isn’t as big a deal.” He lifted the golden flower tea he had ordered to his lips. “Its kind of nice not to be constantly stopped.”

You could only imagine how annoying that could be. To be stopped in whatever you were doing just because someone recognized you and wanted to meet you. Sure, it was sweet but to have it happen all of the time must be more than exhausting. You nibbled a bit of the sandwich that you ordered when your stomach rumbled in protest. It was the first thing you ate today since you hadn’t eaten anything back at the hotel.

“Like, oh my God! Is that Mettaton?”

“Oh my god! It really is Bratty!”

“Mettaton…? Why would he be-” A small group of three monsters rounded the corner onto main street. The tallest one was in the center. She was an alligator monster with curly blonde hair resting on her slender shoulders. Her designer looking clothes matched the shorter female monster on her left who was a purple cat. The cat monster’s hair was black with a purple-blue gradient cut to a point. A gold piercing in her left ear. They both were looking at Mettaton with wide happy eyes but it was the third monster in their little group that had your eyebrows raising in surprise. It was BP. As in the BP who never left work or slept as far as you knew. He was dressed rather casually and looked just as shocked at seeing the two of you as you were with him.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Bratty, Catty, and BP~. What are you three doing out on this gorgeous day?” Mettaton sat his tea onto the table and leaned forward as if he was addressing old friends which relaxed you somewhat but you couldn’t shake this feeling that you were being watched. Only to find out that you were. By BP. The orange cat monster was eyeing the top of your head and it took all of your willpower to stop the ears from laying flat.

The girls both chorused out an elated ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ before continuing the conversation. “BP called us up when he heard that you had, like, given everyone today off.” The alligator monster, Bratty, began.

“And asked if we could, like, hang out!” The purple cat monster, Catty, finished with a purr. “He’s been so busy we haven’t hung out in months!”

“Someone has to keep the Studio going when Metta isn’t…” For the first time since you met him, BP looked shy. If you looked carefully, you could see a slight blush starting to form under all that orange fur.

The two girls didn’t seem to notice his now suddenly shy demeanor and instead homed in on you. “So, like, who is this monster you are with?” Catty leaned over the railing that was separating you from the sidewalk and gave you a big knowing toothy grin. Her yellow eyes were bright with the idea of some sort of juicy gossip.

The robot idle chuckled and you couldn’t help the faint blush as the ears fell flat. You quickly eyed your sandwich on the table while Mettaton spoke for you. “Play nice, Catty. She isn’t a monster.”

“She’s not?!” the two monsters exclaimed at the same time and you wondered how they could be so in sync. They eyed you curiously and you shrunk under their gaze.

“Nope. Songbird is very much a human.” BP spoke up as he leaned up against the railing next to Catty. “Though I know I’m awesome, you shouldn’t go copying others.” At the end he sent you a playful wink, while gesturing to the ears, that you caught out of the corner of your eye. Mettaton chose right then to cut in and he gave them the barest details of how they came to be. The two girls perked up at the mention of Alphys.

“Like, how has she been?” Catty spoke up.

“We’ve been trying to get a hold of her but she is often to busy to pick up the phone for to long.” Bratty played with her hair as she spoke and your plight with the neko formula seemed to be no longer of importance. The air the two female monsters gave off made it feel as though you had been a part of this group for a long time.

“I’ll make sure to bug her for you, darlings.” Mettaton sent them a wink and the two girl monsters squealed in delight.

“So what do you two have planned for today? I bet it’s gonna be over the top.” BP moved to drag a chair over to your table and the two others promptly mimicked him.

You shook your head almost bashfully. “Not really, as far as I know. We were just wandering around town.” the two monsters squealed again when you had begun to sign.

“Oh my god, you are adorable! You’re just like Frisk!” Bratty and Catty stated in unison excitedly.

BP and Mettaton were either used to their over the top fangirling or were ignoring it completely. “Well, there isn’t much to do in this town. All that is really here is the mountain, the movie theater, and the bowling alley.” BP idly scratched behind his ear as he spoke.

“YOU TWO SHOULD COME BOWLING WITH US!” Once again the girls spoke in unison and you were beginning to wonder if this was scripted or they were related. Both of them had you all wrapped up in a group hug and you were looking at the boys with a ‘Save me please!’ expression.

“Nah, guys. They probably already have plans knowing Metta here. We should let them be and finish their more than likely overly romantic date.” BP stated playfully as he stood up to attempt to pry the two monsters off your caged form.

Mettaton’s grin darkened mischievously and you were suddenly very worried for BP. “Thank you, darling. It would probably be wise since I’m more than likely the best bowler here.”

Everyone froze and the three of you immediately looked at BP whose eyes narrowed at the robot idol. Mettaton sipped his tea casually as BP sat back down at the table pointing a finger at the robot. “Please, knowing your luck, one of your arms would pop off and knock all the pins down instead of the ball.”

 

“Oooooooooooooooooo” Bratty and Catty chanted as their eyes went back to Mettaton and yours did as well. The air around the two monsters growing intense.

“Careful, darling, you might break a claw lifting one of those balls.” Mettaton met BP’s eyes head on and the two fell into a brief stare down. The way BP’s tail twitched in agitation making you silently giggle.

“That’s it. You’re on, trashcan!” The alligator and purple cat cheered so loud at BP’s words that you had to cover the kitty ears with your hands at the ringing. But you couldn’t help the big smile on your face.

The robot chuckled as he stood up and left the amount for the meal with a hefty tip under his empty cup. “Let’s go then, hairball.”

“This is gonna be totally awesome!” Catty whisper yelled to Bratty’s giggling.

“Like, I know! This is going to be the best game ever!” Even though you barely knew the alligator and purple cat monster, you couldn’t help nodding your head in agreement. The three of you got out of your seats and followed the boys as they led the way to the bowling alley. You finishing up your sandwich on the walk over. The bubble of excitement back tenfold.

This was going to be fun!


	67. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't think there is a pun in this entire chapter.... am I sick...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 4566
> 
> Also I hope you all like the new song that I wrote <3

“So, like, we have a bit of a problem.” Bratty stated, while she lounged in one of the seats on the opposite side of the single bowling lane the teen at the counter had assigned your group. You sat next to Mettaton as you changed your shoes into the ones that the alley had provided. The robot star had snagged the biggest locker in the establishment and all of you had thrown your shoes in it… after he had shoved his huge neon pink ones in first.

THAT had thrown you for a loop. Since he never took the things off, you had thought that the boots were made to be a part of his body. When in reality they were not. The robot idol lost about 6 inches in height but he still towered above your group with no problem at all. His legs were silver from the knee down and his feet weren’t just a flat foot like an artist’s sketch before they add details. He actually had toes that he could wiggle independently of each other. Alphys really did her homework when she made this body and she certainly didn’t cut corners when she easily could have.

It was weird to see him without his signature pink boots. 

“What problem is that, Darling?” Mettaton asked as he went about putting his own borrowed bowling shoes on. They somehow had a pair that fit his feet and they didn’t look like they got a lot of use because they appeared to be almost brand new, at least, compared to the shoes the rest of you had received that had wrinkles in the leather from lots of use.

“Isn’t it obvs? Like, it’s three versus two.” Catty finished for Bratty and you felt you were getting used to their odd little closeness. Well, it wasn’t odd. There was probably lots of people out in the world who were this close but they were definitely the first you had witnessed.

“That’s fine by me. BP is going to need all the help he can get.” The robot star gave BP a devious smirk that didn’t go unnoticed by the cat monster.

“Haha. Very funny but no. Having a third person makes it so you both have to be at the top of your game and it’s an unfair advantage.” BP stood up and paced to make sure his shoes where on comfortably, then he leaned in close to Mettaton with a challenging glare. “I don’t want you holding a third person over my head as a reason for victory so we need to even the teams so it’s fair and square.”

Bratty rose her clawed hand. “Like, don’t worry about it. I’ll just opt this one out. I doubt that we’re just going to play one game so why don’t Catty and I take turns?”

“Oh, Bratty! You are, like, one of the smartest people I know!” the purple cat monster’s shoes squeaked as she reached over to hug her best friend.

“ _One_ of the smartest?”

“Like, yeah! Alphys, totally, outranks you in the brains department.”

“ _CATTY!_ ”

You grinned as you watched the two girls playfully bicker with each other. “I’m going to go pick a ball. Why don’t you two set up the teams on the board?” You signed to everyone but gestured to Mettaton and BP then to the tablet-like console that sat in front of the machine. The one that returned the bowling balls to you after you took your shot.

“We’ll come with you!” the two female monsters each grabbed one of your arms and pulled you towards the racks of bowling balls off the play floor.

The balls were in a variety of colors but it doubled as a way to know how heavy they were and how big the holes for the fingers are at a glance. Unfortunately, you didn’t know the system so you ended up trying out a bunch of them. You were about to pick this swirly green one when it was taken out of your hands. “Oh my god! Try and lift this one!” Bratty thrust a black ball into your arms and it took all your strength not to drop the heavy thing. “It’s insanely heavy! Who would be able to even use it?”

“That’s probably a perfect fit for myself.” A metal arm relieved yours of the heavy burden. Mettaton hefted the ball with ease and nodded his head in satisfaction. “Yes, this is perfect.”

“You only want that one because the color matches your hair.” BP popped behind you and grabbed a bright red one without even bothering to look at the others.

The robot idol patted the top of BP’s head with a bright smile. “Please, Darling, that’s just an added bonus and you know it.”

After you grabbed the green one back from Bratty, you headed back to your lane and the game began. Catty was up first. The boys had set it up so the girls went before them and you noticed that they had hooked up the game profiles to the Undernet. Your faces were next to the nicknames the boys had picked out. King Pin for Mettaton, Bowling Ninja for BP, Trash Queens for Catty (also Bratty when she is up to play), and you flushed scarlet at the nickname that Mettaton had picked out for you.

_Water Nymph._

The Greek elementals who were often portrayed singing, dancing, and most of all naked in water. If that wasn’t a crack at what happened earlier this morning with the Jacuzzi, you didn’t know what was.

BP and Bratty cheered as the purple cat picked up a spare for her first go while you sent Mettaton the most malicious glare you could muster. He just sent you a playful wink looking as innocent as he could. Choosing to ignore that look, you stood up from your spot with your ball and headed over to the start of the bowling lane. The machines had already reset the pins. Now it was your task to knock down as many as you can.

Even though, you know that one of the best ways to get back at Mettaton would be if you played poorly but you kind of wanted to win too. So you shuffled forward and threw the ball and it hit the polished wood with a loud bang. Your body unconsciously mimicked the green ball’s movement as it slowly curved to the left…. until it hit the gutter. You felt the slow drawn out aura of shame as the ball slowly rolled down the gutter and into the black abyss beyond. The fact that you haven’t played this game that much making itself entirely obvious.

“We’ve got this in the bag.” BP called out from behind you as he high-fived Catty. A slight anger prickling at the nape of your neck at the playful taunt. You know he only said it to mess with you but that didn’t make it any less personal. “OW! What the hell, Mettaton?!”

“Don’t listen to him, sweetheart! You can do it!” The robot star called out immediately after you heard a crash. As you turned back around to grab your returning ball, you noticed that the orange cat monster was on the floor clutching the back of his head with a busted SwapDisc on the floor. Bratty and Catty giggling uproariously at their friend’s minor suffering. Normally, BP would have been able to easily dodge a projectile but the robot must have thrown it at him when he was distracted. Lightly prodding the cat monster on the floor with your foot to see if he was okay, you grabbed your ball from the rack and moved back to the front of the lane.

“You can, like, tots do it gurl!” The alligator monster called out and you heard Catty gasp over dramatically. Bratty giggled at her friend. “Whaaat? Like, I’m not playing this round. I can cheer for everyone.” The purple cat was on her friend and you couldn’t help but smile at them. With the way they acted, it kind of reminded you how you and Sans messed with each other. Just without the finishing each other’s sentences and being perfectly in sync part. Turning back to the task at hand with a determined glint in your eyes, you took the swirly green bowling ball and took your shot. Putting more power into it than the first time from BP’s taunting and Mettaton and Bratty’s encouragement.

It had landed a bit off to the right but towards the end it curved and nailed the pins dead center with all of them following the first to the ground in a cascade of satisfying clashing sounds. “Well, shit. We may be in trouble after all.”

Mettaton whistled and clapped as you jumped in the air doing a little happy dance at your strike. Even though, it didn’t count as one since you guttered the first ball. It had been pure luck but that didn’t matter. It still felt like a strike to you. “That you are, Kobi. My little water nymph is no drowning guppy.”

BP grumbled at his real name being used as he took your place before the foul line of the lane and you sat down next to Mettaton. There was a surge of pride at your accomplishment but you still flipped him the bird at your new nickname. “Call me that again and I will make sure to send all the embarrassing photos I’ve taken of you while you slept to everyone.”

“You don’t have any embarrassing photos of me.” The robot idol chuckled but all you did was arch an eyebrow at him without a change of emotion on your face and his relaxed demeanor broke a bit. “Right…?”

“Call me that again and we’ll _ALL_ find out.” You signed to him while relaxing into your seat as BP took his turn. Needless to say, the robot didn’t call your bluff and didn’t call you the nickname again. Thank the lord. 

The game continued on and you quickly realized that you were completely outmatched compared to them. All of the monsters were really good at this game. It took all of your luck and the little amount of skill you had to keep up though it was Mettaton who was keeping your team safely in the lead.

During the start of the second game (the first had ended in a tie and you had no idea how that had worked), Catty explained while the boys took their shots that this bowling alley was basically the biggest hotspot in the town after the monsters were freed. Anyone who was anyone would come here to play before everything got situated with the human government. The owners of the establishment were a really nice old couple that really enjoyed the monsters who quickly became regulars.

It was nice to hear about how open minded the humans of this town had been. They could have easily done the exact opposite and given them a horrid first impression. Things kind of continued on this way. Bratty and Catty talked to you about almost everything under the sun while the Mettaton and BP got more and more competitive. By the end of the 5th game (that ended once again in a tie. You were adding up the scores of the teams and comparing the two. The team that had a combined higher score was supposed to win… so far there wasn’t a clear winner), your arms felt like lead. You could barely lift the ball but Bratty and Catty were both barely tired because they had been taking turns.

“We need to figure out a clear winner!” BP growled while tugging his ears down in frustration. Somehow he didn’t look tired at all. Was he a robot in disguise?

“How about you two do a game? I need a break…” you signed it and then let your tired arms gratefully fall into your lap. “Know what? I’m gonna go grab a drink from the bar. Do any of you want anything?”

Mettaton nodded his head as BP went about fixing the teams in the console so it was just him and the robot. “A drink sounds amazing, sweetheart. Do you need help carrying them back?”

You shook your head and pointed to the two female monsters who were already standing up to go with you. “I got my posse to back me up.”

“Heck yeah! We got your back fam!” Bratty and Catty stated, as each one wrapped an arm around your shoulder while they spoke in turns.

The robot shook his head but there was a bright smile on his face. “Alright, darlings, I get it. Here, I wouldn’t mind a cosmo but why don’t you pay for the next couple of games while you are up there?” He hands you a few bills and you nod your head earnestly. With the way those two were going at it, the only way they were going to stop is when BP keels over and Mettaton’s battery dies.

Bratty led the way up to the counter where you got your shoes at and doubled as a bar. You sat at a stool while the two monsters relayed your group’s order. The teen nodded his head and called to someone in the back. A heavily tattooed man came out and began mixing the drinks though all you had gotten was a mountain dew. Nothing alcoholic for you unfortunately. Even if the two girl monsters claimed that red wine in moderation could help your heart, you didn’t want to risk it.

Sipping on your drink, you felt, more than saw, Catty lean into your side. Her face inches from yours. “So, like, dish gurl. Are you and Mettaton a thing?” You looked up at her with your eyebrows shooting up in surprise at the serious look on her face. She kept up the stare down until you nodded your head and she let out a loud ‘woop!’

“OMG, I KNEW IT!” Bratty screeched next to her and the ears on your head fell flat as they rung painfully. Why had she felt the need to do that RIGHT next to the sensitive things? “Like, you two are so cute together! You are so lucky!” 

That you were and you vowed to never take this relationship for granted. This was the happiest and most loved you had felt in years. You let a shy smile form on your lips. It was then that you realized that Catty had started talking. “–in the Underground we were obsessed with him. Like, can you blame us? He’s hella hot! We both vowed that he would be our husband and not long after we were freed I finally got him to sign my butt!”

You snorted so bad you choked on your soda. Bratty lightly hit your back as you sputtered on silent laughter. Oh man, you were NEVER going to let him live that down. These two had unknowingly given you the fodder you needed to get back at Mettaton about the Water Nymph nickname. 

Catty had laughed along with you. “RIGHT?! It was one of the best days of my life.” The girls settled down as you regained the ability to breathe without coughing anymore. “Those were the days, right Bratty?”

“Totally, Catty. But, like, we aren’t pursuing him anymore. It was made pretty obvious he saw us as just friends. Besides… Catty’s got her eyes on someone else now.” Bratty eyed her best friend with wiggling eyebrows. The cat monster screeching at her to ‘like totally, shut up’ but the alligator monster ignored her completely as you listened transfixed. You weren’t much into gossip but these two had done a fantastic job of sucking you into their world that you just had to know who Catty was fancying. “I’ll give ya a hint. He’s got orange fur and is always busy doing something.”

Your mouth dropped open in disbelief. “No way.”

“Yes, way.”

“KOBI?!” You signed as your eyes darted over to the orange cat monster who was now sitting with Mettaton at your bowling lane chatting about something while waiting for you to set up the next games.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo.” The purple cat monster wailed. Thrusting her upper body onto the counter to hid her face in her arms.

Her wail was so loud the boys had stopped talking to look and see if the three of you were all right. You gave them a reassuring wave then they resumed whatever it was they were talking about. Rounding on Catty, you give her the biggest, brightest, encouraging smile you could manage. “You should go for it!” Ninja BP and chatty Catty. A match made in heaven. Bratty translating for you when her friend didn’t lift her head up from her arms.

“I, like, can’t. Not right now anyway. He’s so busy with work that I never see him.” You could barely make out what the purple cat said.

Your goal of getting BP an extended vacation suddenly got pushed higher on your list of things to do. You poked Catty until she finally looked at you. “Leave that to me. Give me your number.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Bratty joined in on the number swapping just as the bartender finished the rest of the drinks and brought them all to you except yours. You already had it because it had been the easiest to make.

“Anything else I can get you girls?” the tattooed man smiled openly and you nodded your head earnestly at him.

“We would like 5 more games for our lane, please.” You had the text to voice app say for you while the man went about adding up your drink order.

“Cosmic or regular?”

“Cosmic?”

“It’s when we dim the lights to almost pitch black and turn on black lights that light up the play floor. We also have disco balls that come out and we can play songs from your favorite stations as you play.” The man patiently explained as your eyes grew wide in wonder.

You looked at your monster companions and they seemed to have the same idea as you. “I want all the 5 games cosmic!” your phone said as you slammed the bills onto the table. Your body slowly being reenergized at the idea of this new style of bowling.

The man chuckled. “You got it. Which station would you like?”

“Do you have, like, a trance dance one? No vocals just music?” Catty piped up and you nodded her head at her music of choice. That would be good music to get pumped up too. When the man nodded she squealed in delight. “Let’s go with that one!”

The three of you gathered up the drinks and made your way back to your lane as the lights began to dim. You handed Mettaton his cosmo as he and BP looked at the lights curiously. “What’s going on, gorgeous?” Not long after he said it the disco balls dropped down and pumping music began to play over the speakers as the bowling lanes light up into bright neon colors under black light. You bounce in place at the sights. Your foot tapping to the beat in excitement. “Ah… You initiated the cosmic bowling? That was actually a good idea. I now have the perfect soundtrack for kicking BP’s ass.”

BP scoffed at Mettaton’s words. “I’m going to kick your ass so badly, you’re going to have to go to Alphys for repairs.”

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo!” Bratty and Catty chorused right beside you and you had to give BP a slow clap for that burn. 

Mettaton beginning to do the same. A big smirk on his face. “Touché. Touché. I will give you that one. That was great but let’s see if you can actually back those words up, darling.” The robot’s eyes narrowed as he took his ball from the rack to go make his shot. He threw true and all the pins were knocked down in the first throw. “Your move, fluffbutt.”

It was neck and neck for a long time. The sun had already set outside and you had gone up to the counter to get more drinks a couple times now. As well as to get more games. It was in the 15th round of cosmic bowling that Mettaton finally bowled a 300 perfect score and beat BP with just one strike.

“Good game. Good game… not exactly how I thought I was going to spend my day off but this was fun.” The orange cat monster shook Mettaton’s hand respectively before moving to sprawl out across a whole row of seats. He was breathing hard and sweat matted his fur.

The robot nodded his head before moving to sit next to you. “You were a worthy opponent, sweetheart. I won by sheer luck this time.” He wasn’t looking the best either. Even though he didn’t have lungs, Mettaton looked winded and his LED eyes looked significantly dimmer than they normally were. Throwing that heavy ball over and over must have finally took its toll on his battery.

“Well, we have one more game left. Mind if Bratty and I use it?” Catty asked looking up from her phone. The boys immediately consented and she went about setting it up.

You watched them play for a bit but decided to get up and stretch your legs for a bit. Sitting for so long had made it so your legs had fallen asleep. You paced the carpeted floor away from the play area while rubbing your thighs. The disco lights dancing across your skin casting it in an array of different colors. The trance music had gone from a pumping beat to something a bit slower as the night progressed and you relished that it wasn’t as fast paced anymore. It would have been too much for the moment.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Looking up from your ministrations on your legs, you saw a tired but happy looking Mettaton standing in front of you not too far away. He made his way over you and knelt in an elegant bow with his arm offered out. “Mind if I have this dance, milady? I would like to try out a song that I wrote on you. If you don’t mind.”

A song? That he wrote? You nodded your head and took his hand in yours. He moved until he held you as if you were going to waltz to slow trance music. Mettaton waited for the song to morph into a new one then his lips parted and he began to sing to the beat.

“ _Cracked heart, mute voice. Sweetheart, look into my eyes.  
Head up, you’re all, that is on my mind._”

You couldn’t help it. You blushed a brilliant crimson at his words. He had written a song about you for Valentine ’s Day. The robot idol gently pulled you into a small swaying waltz. One that was easy to follow as he led.

“ _Her eyes were somber and filled with disbelief.  
I stand there watching as she perceived me._”

He didn’t break eye contact as he lifted your chin when you tried to turn away to hide your blush. His eyes holding an immeasurable amount of softness as he gazed upon you. As if you were the only thing his eyes saw.

“ _When you aren’t around,  
Darkness is all I see.  
Please, my angel, listen to my plea.  
You are my whole world now,  
I couldn’t live without you.  
No, I could not.  
Stay by me and look into my eyes._”

Unconsciously, you leaned into him as you continued to listen to his words. The reference to one of the songs you had written not lost on you. Your eyes kept contact as you lost yourself, utterly transfixed by his voice. 

It was beautiful. He made a song about you. For you. His natural talent for finding rhythm making it easy for him to sync up his words to the random trance background music. Napstablook would be proud. You had to use all your will power to not let any tears escape as your eyes began to mist over.

“ _Tears trailed down her cheeks,  
As I told her what it is I truly feel.  
She embraces me warmly.  
The girl of my dreams in my arms.  
I held her close not wanting to let go._”

Your bodies swayed to the music. Nothing else but the two of you as you danced hand in hand. He paused to let the music play for a bit. Waltzing around and even making you do a small but elegant slow twirl before bringing you back to him and finishing it out.

“ _When you aren’t around,_  
Darkness is all I see.  
Please, my angel, listen to my plea.  
You are my whole world now,  
I couldn’t live without you.  
No, I could not.  
Stay by me and look into my eyes.  
Stay by me and look into my eyes.”

 

The music changed into a new song but you were left staring at Mettaton as he dragged out the last note a bit longer. Not even giving him a moment to recover when he stopped. You stood on your tip toes and pressed your lips to his. The robot only taking a moment to realize what is going on before he molds his lips to yours.

There are whoops and hollers from BP, Bratty, and Catty back at your bowling lane but you don’t care. You break only to get more air and delve right back in. Mettaton humming in contentment. His arms snake from your waist to under your butt before he pulls you up into his arms. His head now level with yours.

You wrap your arms around his neck before pulling away for a second time. Your lips a little swollen from your impromptu make out session. Mettaton continued on by trailing down your jawline to his favorite spot to nuzzle against your neck making you giggle silently.

“GO GET A ROOM YOU TWO!” BP yelled out and you automatically flipped him off without really thinking about it. You yawned regardless and your boyfriend didn’t let it go unnoticed.

“Shall we take his advice and just go back to the hotel?” He purred into your ear. You nodded your head. The entire day of bowling had sapped you of almost all of your strength. Sleep sounded amazing. Without another word, Mettaton carried you over to the locker and you both changed shoes. You both bid farewell to the other monsters and they called out their goodbyes.

The walk back was fairly short but then again you hadn’t had to walk it. Mettaton carried you all the way back to the hotel and only let you down in the room, only when you had insisted. Like a zombie, you went about your nightly rituals. Pajamas, brush teeth, etc. Your body got alittle heavier as you went about it all until you were slugging along to the bed. Not even bothering to wrap yourself under the large comforter, you sprawled out on your side of the bed. Darkness consuming your vision the moment your head hits the pillow.


	68. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 3219

Silence is what you are greeted with when you slowly start to awaken from the deep dreamless slumber you fell into last night. You expected to wake up cold because you hadn’t taken refuge in the large comforter but you were rather toasty. Cracking an eye open, you noticed that you were properly tucked in with the spot where Mettaton should be currently vacant.

The hotel room was dark with only a stray of light filtering in from the cracks between the curtains. Judging how bright those rays were, the sun was already decently through its journey across the sky. It was probably around 10am maybe 11 at the latest. The fog in your mind that was caused by sleep began to lift as you began to become more awake. You were supposed to have woken up early so that the two of you could spend the day hiking Mt. Ebott. He wasn’t planning on taking you into the Underground, just to the spot were they emerged with Frisk.

It was supposed to be a day of adventure and learning as you both asked questions to get to know each other better. Well, you were bound to learn more about him at this point than he would about you but that didn’t really matter. A day that you were really looking forward too. So what changed? Mettaton wasn’t one for changing plans without a good reason.

You rolled onto your back and attempted to sit up so that you could figure out what was going on as well as start your day when a horrid, dull, aching pain began to register in your mind. It consumed your entire upper body and you found it really hard to even lift your arms. It was as if all of your strength was completely gone. Like you had an attack but you knew for a fact that you hadn’t. Trying to lift your arms even though they felt like lead, you attempted to grab your phone that was laying next to your pillow. Wondering how it had gotten there because you weren’t the one to have put it there in the first place. It was a slow process.

Finally, you were able to snag it and brought it up to your face as much as your straining arm would allow. Tapping the screen, your phone lit up to display the time and date. You were right. It was 10:35. Lifting your head, you take in the quiet dim hotel room. It was kind of unsettling since normally you could at least hear Mettaton doing something. Whether it was his breathing or something mechanical in his body, there was always some kind of low pitched white noise. Now that it was completely quiet it was just weird. You had gotten accustomed to the sounds that he made at all times.

Actually, wouldn’t that just make you weird?

Shrugging to yourself, you figured that wherever the robot was it wasn’t here. More than likely, he had properly put you in bed after you had conked out and set your phone nearby so that you can contact him when you awoke if he wasn’t around. Curious as to where he was and what exactly he had planned, you moved to get out of bed a few times before you fell back gently against the headboard letting out a frustrated sigh.

Your body was practically screaming at you with each movement you made and since you lacked the strength each attempt had been minimal. There was no way you were getting out of bed today let alone an all day hike on a mountain. It just wasn’t happening. Why did you go overboard and play so many bowling games with Mettaton last night? That was the only thing you can think of that would explain why you feel like the living dead right now. 

Because of this, you weren’t going to be able to do the things he had worked so hard to plan for today. Sure, he could carry you the whole way but that just seemed like a bad idea. What if the added strain drained his battery to much and you were left stranded on a mountain with an extremely heavy robot? It’s one thing to drag him across the floor a few feet when you were at full strength to a charging outlet. It was another to try and get him back down a mountain (which probably doesn’t have phone service) back to civilization while you could barely lift your own arms. Had Mettaton somehow picked up on that and that was why he let you sleep in? Would he have known that you wouldn’t be physically capable of climbing after last night?

You, once again, shrugged to yourself and unlocked your phone with a swipe to ask him where he was just as you heard the door to your shared hotel room start to open. The robot idol in question strutted in carrying two large paper bags while he lightly kicked the door closed behind him. He moved to set the bags on the counter in the little kitchen area when he turned around and finally noticed you. “Oh! Good morning, sleepyhead. Dream of anything worth remembering?” He sent a playful wink at you that had a small blush making its way across your face.

“Probably but sadly it was more than likely so amazing that it was to much and that’s why I can’t remember it.” Deciding to play along, you sent a text to the flirty robot since you already had it up. Opting to just pushing buttons on your phone since your arms were to tired to sign. The familiar ping sound of Mettaton receiving a text came from the robot and his smile morphed into a smirk at your slight sassiness. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Amusement danced in his eyes as he began to unload the bags. “Don’t you think I tried, gorgeous? You were so far gone that it scared me. Ended up calling Alphys to ask if there may be something wrong.” That was news to you and the expression on your face must have showed it because he looked away sheepishly. Busying himself even more than he already was with the bags which contained ingredients for something.

“What did she say?” the text you sent said even though you knew why you had slept like the dead in the first place. Might as well have a little bit of fun with him. It was cute when he was worried or concerned about something that he didn’t understand. There was a lot about humans that he didn’t know about and it was a constant learning curve for him. Especially with the issues that you have.

He picked a pretty hard human to be his girlfriend.

The robot ran his hand through his hair with the other cutting some raw chicken with a laser coming out of his pointer finger. The sides where the laser cut cooked the chicken a small bit and the smell it gave off was heavenly. You didn’t realize just how hungry you were until right now. “She said that it was nothing to worry about just some extreme fatigue after playing so many games of bowling when you aren’t used to it. I’m assuming that’s why you are texting me rather than signing.” You do nothing but nod your head and the amusement is back in his eyes. He hummed in confirmation and moved the chicken pieces to a saucepan above the tiny stove. “I’m assuming that’s also why you are still in bed?”

You nod your head again. Minimal movement was the goal.

“Well, if you can’t even sign, there is no way that I expect you to climb a mountain all day.” He stirs the chicken with a spatula (you realized that he had bought cooking utensils along with ingredients) and started adding other things while sauteing the chicken. The smells it giving off making your stomach growl in protest. “So I let you sleep in.”

Despite your hunger pangs, guilt crept into your consciousness. He had gone all out to make this little getaway the best and you ruined it by getting to into the bowling competition. Dan you and your human limitations. Mettaton snapping his fingers had you looking at him from your thoughts to see a reassuring smile on his face. “Okay, beautiful, I will have none of that self doubt that is swirling around that pretty head of yours. We’re going to have just as much fun staying in and watching bad TV as we would on Mt. Ebott.”

“But all the plans that you had. We can’t do any of them for today and who knows when we’ll be able to do something like this for awhile?” You opted to looking at your phone after sending the text. Even though you knew that if you wanted to do this again, Mettaton would plan accordingly so that you could but not without some guilt on your part. The robot loved his work and to put it all off just so you could be a little selfish wasn’t right. Even more so since BP would probably have to step up to the plate and the poor cat monster had enough on his plate as it was.

“That I did but plans change.” Mettaton stated with a shrug after reading your response. Not nearly as bothered by the changes than you were. “In the end, the result will be the same. I wanted to spend some time away from the others just you and me. We can do that here just as easily as we could on the mountain. Besides this works out in a way. Next time we come, I plan on giving you a grand tour of where the famous Mettaton originated.”

It took a send for his words to sink in and when they did you felt a little more energetic than you have all day. Your mind pushing back the aches a bit. “You’re going to take me to the Underground?”

“That I am. Now that I see that you are a bit more awake, why don’t you go freshen up while I finish this here?” Mettaton gestured to the delicious smelling concoction as he spoke.

He was right. You needed to take advantage of this energy spurt while you could. So you slowly made your way over to the bathroom. Bringing your phone along with just in case. All of the toiletries you used were still in there from last night. Which was nice because you were not going back out unless you were done. The bed was already beckoning you to come back to its warm embrace.

You went about taking a quick shower instead of getting in the Jacuzzi. You didn’t think you would be able to get out if you got in. Your upper body strength was still completely shot. The hot water hit you and allowed yourself a few moments to enjoy the warmth. The droplets trailed down your body as they did their magic on your aching muscles. By the time you got out, you had even more energy than you went in. Standing in front of the steamed up mirror, a scowl made it’s way across your face.

The little bastards were still on the top of your head. Your kitty ears did look a little faded compared to the last time you saw them but that could also be due to the steam in the room. If they were solid last night, you doubted they would have faded just because you were so physically exhausted today. When you got back, you needed to contact Alphys about them. This was just getting ridiculous.

Taking a towel, you began to rub the inside of the ears. Thinking back, you had forgotten that you may have still had them when you took the shower and now you were hoping you hadn’t gotten water inside the complex things. An odd magical earache was the last thing you needed. If they even could get them. You really didn’t want to be the one to find out. So you take a little longer to make sure that they were as water free as you could.

Finishing up, you head out of the bathroom in the clothes that you went in with. The steam drifted out around you much like Mettaton’s dramatic entrance when he takes the stage for a concert and that thought makes you smile a bit. Even going so far as to strike a small easy pose that doesn’t strain your muscles.

“My word, Darling. You look ready to put on a show~” The robot purred from his spot perched on the desk next to the bed. Two paper plates of some sort of taco resting next to him. Taking a sip from one of the glasses of water sitting there as well.

An evil smirk stretched across your lips as you dropped out of the pose to stick out your hip. “Ready enough that I can sign the butt of a fan.” You signed to him instead of texted because your phone was in your pocket. Plus you were feeling a lot better after the shower. Not mountain climbing better but better.

You’ve never seen someone do a spit take before so the fact Mettaton did it made it so much more awesome.

“Catty told you about that?!” he sputtered over his words while lightly hitting his chest plate trying to regain his composure. The mischievous smirk on your face was all the answer he needed and he let out an anguished groan. “I was hoping that would never resurface again.”

“Well now that it has, you will never be hearing the end of it.” Your hands stated while you made your way over to the desk and took the only chair there. This just elicits another groan from the robot. “What? I’m allowed to be a little… _cheeky_.”

“Nooooooooope.” Mettaton’s hands moved down and swept both plates high and up out of your reach. “Butt puns is where I draw the line. Wow, I never thought that was something that I would have to say in my life.”

Your stomach protested yet you couldn’t stop. His words spurring you on even more. “Aww, we are already _behind_ on the day. If I don’t eat then we’ll be put back even more.”

“No. Bad. Baaaad.” He continued to hold the plates high but you could see the smile on his face as he tried to fight back his own laughter.

“C’mon, too _chicken_ to make butt puns?” You decide to let up a bit and focus more on the food in his hands. Hungry human was hungry. He just rolled his eyes at you in amusement and you decided to try to get a plate away from him. Clambering up onto the desk, you attempt to get a plate from the robot but he just extends his arms even higher. “ _Mettabum_ , please!”

“Mettabum. Seriously?” You just shrugged at him. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but that has to be the worst pun you’ve come up with yet.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t my best material.”

“That’s an understatement. No more puns and I’ll let the human eat.”

“ _Butt… butt_ puns!” Your hands protested and the pitiful pout on our face finally pushed Mettaton over the edge and an undignified snort escaped him. Taking advantage of this moment, you snag one of the plates with a little jump (your body screaming at you afterwards) and plop yourself down next to him on the desk, careful to not knock over the glasses of water.

You eyed the two soft tacos placed very nicely on your plate. It looked more like something on one of those fancy cooking shows than something made in a hotel room kitchen. To hungry to ponder it, you bring one to your mouth and take a big grateful bite while Mettaton recovered enough to take a bite of his own. Flavors burst across your tongue. Chicken, tomato, lettuce, and was that… a hint of lime? You paused for a moment to savor the flavor before hurriedly eating the rest. Each bite just as good as the next. Who would have known that the robot could cook? You knew that he had a cooking show but this was just amazing.

Before you know it, your plate is completely empty and your stomach happy. “Sooooo how was it?” Mettaton asked, once he polished off his own tacos.

“Can you cook for me more often?” You sign to him then go to throw your paper plate away. “That was absolutely delicious! What exactly was it?”

“Lime chicken soft tacos. It was one of the first things I taught myself to make on the surface. I… wasn’t the best chef in the Underground. Then again I didn’t get taste buds until we were freed.” He visibly shuddered at something. “To think some of the things I was feeding monsters. I’m surprised they were able to stomach it.”

Moving back to your spot on the bed, Mettaton slid into his spot next to you. “They must have liked it to some extent or else they wouldn’t have kept buying it.”

“True… but I think it was more along the lines that they got used to it. The things were made with magic so for humans and monsters they were digestible but the taste…” His gaze goes distant as if he is recalling a far off memory. “I will never make amends to monster-kind for that.”

You silently chuckled at him. “I think you have more than made up for it so… bad TV?” you held up the remote to the TV after you asked and he nodded his head in agreement.

Together you browsed the cable network that the hotel had. Settling on a channel that was running a marathon of real crime shows. It was one of the shows that talked about a real murder starting with who died, the investigation, and the lead up into who had done it. You both whiled the day away binging the marathon. Having fun guessing who the killer was before the end of the show.

“It’s Rav. He’s the one that cut that poor person down like a salad.” You sign to Mettaton who scrunches up his nose in thought.

“I don’t know... I think it was his sister. She seems pretty manipulative.” You nodded your head to him in thought as well. You could see how he came to that assumption but all the evidence seemed to paint the brother as the killer. “Well, we’ll know here in just a moment.” The robot trailed off as the narrator continued to speak and you both listened to each word with bated breath.

“And with that last bit… Rav was apprehended and taken in not long after…” The narrator spoke and you cheered in victory at guessing right.

You threw your hands into the air and did a little upper body dance until you stopped due to your body protesting. “I knew it! I just knew it!”

“Congrats, beautiful, but I’ll be sure to get the next one.” Mettaton pat your head and the ears flicked at him in slight irritation.

“You’re on!” you signed to him before settling into a more comfortable position waiting for the next episode to start. Snuggling up to the robot and resting your head on his shoulder. Yeah, you didn’t go mountain climbing but it had been a lot of fun teasing him while watching the investigation shows. You wouldn’t have had your last vacation day any other way.


	69. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya, everyone! Going to give you all a heads up that there won't be a main chapter next week. I'm getting behind on the art for this story and I'm basically going to spend this week attempting to catch up on it. Also a little backstory, the wonder woman/ Undyne part came from a dream where I was in a library and I had to explain DC comics to her. It was weird
> 
>  
> 
> Word Count: 3916

Home sweet home.

The drive back felt significantly longer than the drive there. Probably because you weren’t fully awake this time because your body was still screaming at you from the bowling tournament that you had had with your friends a couple days prior. So when you got home, you didn’t even bother unpacking. Then again Mettaton hadn’t let you out of the car with the backpack because he said “It would be nice if you had a lot of these things at my place instead of having to go back to your room for these things each time.”

You did snatch the dirty laundry out of it though. You didn’t want the robot monster to have to deal with that.

So you threw them in the laundry and went to crash in your own bed in your own house. Getting a moment just to yourself because you knew that it would be short lived. It was only a matter of time before one of the skeleton’s noticed that you were home and decided to stop in. More than likely, it would be Sans to come check up on you in general.

It was time to get back into the routine of work and play that you had become accustomed too. However, you had taken a day off after being back a few days because you had to go talk to a friend about something important. Actually, it was about two important things that still haven’t disappeared off the top of your head.

A week.

 _A week_.

IT’S BEEN A WHOLE FUCKING WEEK!

The truly adorable cat ears that you had gained from drinking a questionable magic concoction still had yet to disappear A WEEK later. You sat on the other side of the really nice mahogany desk that was Alphys’s in her university office. Your head rested on top of it with your ears laid back flat against the top of your skull as you glared daggers at the yellow dinosaur monster. Unblinking. She was trying to ignore your gaze but you could see that she was struggling to keep a calm composure as she distracted herself with her computer.

Finally, your glaring silence breaks her down and she is giving you her undivided attention. “You said these weren’t permanent.” Was all the little piece of paper you had written on said as you held it up under your nose on the desk. Piercing gaze showing right over the top.

Alphys lets out a sigh. “It isn’t. L-Look… (y/n)… There isn’t anything I can do.” She ran her claws through the yellow spiney things on the back of her head with an apologetic look. “We just have to let the magic run its course. T-though I w-will admit that they are taking a-a lot longer than originally estimated.”

No shit. They were supposed to only last a few hours. Not an ENTIRE week! The few days back at MTT Studios had been hell. You had almost went to work without anything covering them up because you had forgotten they were there. Thank God, you still had the skull cap that Sans had lent you.

When you had arrived, there was no doubt that you had received some looks for your new headgear but was left alone for the most part. It wasn’t until BP saw that you had it on that he connected two and two together. From then on, your life was hell.

The orange cat monster was having way to much fun trying to come up with elaborate ways to get the skull cap off the top of your head. It became a literal game of cat and mouse as you tried to get work done while avoid the traps and puzzles he left for you. Some were so clever that you swore that BP had enlisted Papyrus in setting them up. Oh, you were going to get the cat monster back. You weren’t sure how but you were.

“Is there a way that you can tell how much longer they’ll exist?” You signed to Alphys while not letting up on the glare. She deserved at least this much for all the trouble she has accidentally put you through. You didn’t want to give BP even more fodder against you. Needless to say, you weren’t excited to see what traps he has waiting for you back at the studio for the next time you are there. It was amazing that he was so busy with work but still managed to find the time to set up traps and tricks for you to fall into that would reveal the ears.

One time, Mettaton had to get you down from a weird net contraption that had you hanging upside down from the ceiling. BP had actually apologized for that one but that didn’t stop him from finding other ways, less dangerous ways, to try and get the hat off.

“W-well, sure! All I w-would have to do is perform a SOUL c-check. M-much like what you already go through.” Alphys nodded her head towards a machine that was in the back of one of the labs outside her office. “I-if you would like, w-we could perform a check right now.”

You launched your upper body over her desk so that you were just a foot away from your monster friend with your hands signing two words over and over. “YES, PLEASE!”

She chuckled a little at your antics before standing up and making her way out into the lab. “E-EVERYONE! C-COULD I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?” The seven students that were in the lab turned to give Alphys their undivided attention. You shrunk behind the door to her office to make yourself smaller. When had other people made their way here? “I am about to perform a SOUL check on someone. As all know, this is very personal. So please finish up what you are doing and take a quick break for a bit.” Despite the abrupt announcement, the news Alphys brought was met with smiles and looks of understanding from some of the students in your direction.

Waiting patiently in the doorway of Alphy’s office, you watched as the small yellow monster went to each student to help them out or give them advice on where to go next with their projects. With her help, the last student is walking out of the lab after about ten minutes and Alphys goes about closing all the blinds so that no one could look into the lab. She even put a notice on the doors and closed them so that no one would just walk in the middle of the procedure.

“O-okay! Let’s do that check!” The stuttering monster beckoned you over to the machine that she was already making her way over towards. You followed closely behind and moved past her to hop onto the stainless steel table next to the machine. The cold metal making bumps pop up across your skin. You wondered how she was able to work in such a cold lab when she normally would prefer a warmer environment. Was it possible she may be cold blooded like other lizards? It was possible. Then again, her body was primarily magic so it was more than likely just s comfort thing.

Alphys started up the machine and gave you a look asking your permission to pull out your SOUL. After giving the empty lab another glance, you nodded your head and you felt the gentle familiar tugging that was Alphys’s magic pulling out your SOUL. Somehow she did it in a way that was much nicer and gentler than the other monsters who have done it. Maybe it was the type of magic that she used? The only one it compared to was Sans. His was just a touch gentler but not by much.

You eyed your SOUL as it bobbed contentedly in front of your chest. The purple aura pulsing softly against the other lights in the room. A whirring sound followed the tube thing that your SOUL phased through the bottom and into the tube itself. Alphys hit a button on the machine and the scan began. You settled and waited patiently in a comfortable silence while Alphys read the information that the machine provided her. How could she read all those strings of information so fast? You were trying but it was giving you a headache.

The scan didn’t take to long. After a couple of minutes, the tube was pulling away and your SOUL returned itself within your chest. You kicked your legs idly as you waited for Alphys to finish her readings and give you the verdict. “Sooo… how can the machine tell how much time these ears have?” you asked her when she turned her head towards you and away from the screen.

“O-oh! It can’t tell how much time it has b-but it can tell me how much of the magic is still in your system.” Alphys picked up a paper read out that the machine printed out. “Since I know how much magic was in the drink, given the time frame, and how much magic is left, I can come up with an educated guess as to how much longer the ears should exist.”

So this was one of those rare cases where algebra is useful. You nodded your head as she went over the read out. “Makes sense… why didn’t we do this before…?”

“Because not enough time had passed to make an estimate. We wouldn’t know how fast your body would process the magic which is what we needed.” You watched as her claw lightly tapped the paper as she calculated in her head. “Well, your SOUL is doing well. Much better than previously. This was indirectly helpful, despite being a nuisance. It gave us a chance to see the effects of the SOUL shake on your SOUL when it has been off of it for a little while.” You nodded your head at her words with a small smile on your face and ears perked up. That was good news. “Once the magic for the ears has dissipated we’ll get you back on to the supplement. Now as for the amount of magic in your system and how long the ears will last…” She trailed off as she went back to calculating in her head and her lips moved as she spoke the equation to herself. “Soon… They’ll probably disappear in about 4 hours.”

You sat straighter at that. “Really…?”

“Y-yep! S-since that is the case, w-would you mind hanging around the university until i-it’s time…?” Alphys smiled brightly as she spoke while giving you big pleading eyes.

You were nodding your head fervently. This was perfect. The ears would be gone before you had to go to work tomorrow and that meant BP couldn’t give you shit for them anymore. You had taken the whole day off to drill the monster for answers anyway so it wasn’t like you had anything better to do. But you weren’t exactly excited to chill in the lab without anything to do. The yellow scientist seemed to pick up on your mood and gave you a reassuring smile. “W-why don’t you go to the u-university library? U-Undyne is probably there l-looking in the manga section for new ones to r-read.”

“There is a manga section in a university library?” You signed to Alphys slightly surprised. You could understand a public library to have a small manga section but not a university.

“Y-yes! So why don’t you go see if she found anything g-good.”

It was better than sitting around doing nothing. You nodded your head to the scientist and put the skullcap back on your head to hide the ears. She followed you towards the door and began to open the blinds to signal that her students could come back in and work. You headed out as she took the sign off the door and headed towards the third floor where the university library was. Opting to take the elevator instead of the stairs. You were still in the science department and everyone here still gave you the creeps with the way they look at you. Just imagine the looks on their faces if you revealed that you now had cat ears?

You silently snickered as the elevator dinged to announce your arrival and you found yourself standing in a hallway before a massive library. There was an aisle for just about every subject you could think of. You would probably get lost if it wasn’t for the fact that Undyne made herself known with a rather loud. “NYGAAAAH!” Though for her benefit, it was quieter than she normally did it. No one in the library seemed to pay it any mind so you could only assume that they were used to her by now.

Following the trail of the sound, you found the fish monster browsing a large shelf filled to the brim of old and new manga. Her single eye narrowed as she read the titles. Your presence completely ignored with all her focus on the books in front of her. When she let another muffled but still very loud ‘NYGAAH!”, you stepped forward and tapped her on the bicep to get the fish woman’s attention.

The next thing you knew, you were flying. Well, not flying per say… Undyne had lifted you and you were now being held aloft above the fish monster’s head by the scruff of your collar. You blinked a couple of times and looked down at Undyne with wide eyes. It took a moment for her to realize who she was holding in the air. “Oh, shit! Sorry about that! It’s a reflex.” She lowered her arm and your feet touched the ground once more.

“Did I startle you…?” you signed to your intimidating friend and the fish monster let out a huff at your words.

“What?! You would have got anyone! You were so quiet it was like you were ninja!” She whisper yelled at you and you could tell that she was feeling a mixture of frustration and pride. “Since when can you sneak up on people like that?!”

Since never, you were to engrossed in the books to notice your presence but you chose not to tell her that. “Sorry, next time I’ll make sure to _tuna_ up the volume.”

“No.” Undyne trained her single eye on you and you couldn’t help the smirk that popped on your face.

“Okay, okay. I’ll _scale_ it back on the puns.” You were rewarded with Undyne letting out a cry of dismay that had you silently giggling at her plight. “Alright, I’m done. Why were you sighing like that earlier?” You gestured to the books after you signed it and the fish woman recovered before you finished.

“I was looking for something new to read… but I’ve read all the ones that they currently got.” Undyne looked back at the wall of manga and ran a hand through her vibrant red hair.

“Why don’t you read them online? Surely, Alphys is subscribed to every online manga reading site known to man.” You cocked your head at her questioningly. Knowing Alphys, Undyne could get any manga she wanted digitally. It would just be a couple key strokes away.

“Yeah… but its kind of hard to read for an extended period on a screen with one eye. Strains it too much. That’s why I opt for physical copies when I can.” Undyne said absently before looking away from the selection frustrated but your interest was peeked.

You knew that Undyne had one eye. Yet, if Alphys can make an android-like body that can eat, taste, see, and be as close to as an imitation human as possible, then she could easily make a prosthetic eye for her girlfriend. One that worked if not better than a normal eye. You signed this to Undyne and you watched as her eye goes distant. “I never said that she didn’t make me an eye.”

“Then why do you wear an eye patch?” The jovial mood had dampened but your curiosity was getting the better of you. Undyne was pretty straightforward about things like this. If she didn’t want you prying then she would outright tell you.

“Let’s just say… If I take this eye patch off…” The aura Undyne began to give off was ominous. She was no longer your really strong, goofy, nerdy friend. She was a powerful being that deserved your respect or else you were going to be pummeled into dust. “It will be the last thing you will ever see.” She was regarding you with a serious look. You did not like that she currently had all of her attention trained on you. It was obvious how she was the captain of the Royal Guard now. For a while, you figured it was just because of her ridiculous strength but there was a lot more to this monster than she let on.

“Anyway… guess I’m going home empty handed.” She mumbled to herself as she turned back to the books. Letting the tense situation fade away into the more comfortable companionable one that you two normally had.

You understood the warning though. Don’t get on Undyne’s bad side. She was about to walk away when an idea popped into your head and you snapped your fingers to get he attention. “Have you read any American comics?”

“American comics…?”

“Batman, Superman, Thor, The Fantastic Four…” You signed to her a list of the more well known super heroes.

“I’ve watched a few movies but I’ve never read anything about them… Why?” Undyne was eyeing you curiously and an excited grin spread across your face.

“Then I have something for you to read!” Taking the fish monster’s hand, you led her through the manga section over to the comics section that was the next shelf over. It would make sense that the library would keep the two close together. You released her to browse the titles until you finally found the one that you were searching for. Pulling it out and handing it to Undyne to look over.

“Wonder Woman?” She takes the thick book from your hands and begins to flip through it. “Give me the low down. Why do you think I would like it?”

Why wouldn’t she like it? Wonder Woman was right up Undyne’s alley. “She’s a demigoddess, Amazonian warrior princess, who fights and defends what is right and is apart of a group of superheroes that mainly consists of boys.” It was quick and sweet but that’s what Wonder Woman was. Sure she changed a bit pending on how the author decided to portray her but the basis was the same. Wonder Woman was a badass chick.

“Mkay, nerd. You have me interested.” She grabbed a few others that were under the Wonder Woman name and you grabbed a couple pertaining to the Justice League so she can check them out too. You both found a table and scattered the comic loot across the flat surface to begin reading.

Time flew as you and Undyne delved into the DC Universe. It didn’t take long for Undyne to become enraptured and sure enough, she finished the first one and was eagerly digging into the next.

“So what do you think?” You signed to her after she looked up from an intense reading session. The smugness was emanating off of you because of the way she was tearing through the comics.

“What do I think? This chick is AWESOME!” Undyne practically yelled that last part and was shushed by one of the librarians behind the front desk. The fish monster didn’t let it bother her as she eyed you with childish excitement in her eye. “She doesn’t take shit from nobody and holds her own in a fight no problem! I wish she was real so I could spar with her!”

You silently chuckled at her enthusiastic words. “I knew you’d like her.”

“If she had a spear instead of a lasso, she would be perfect!” Undyne practically punched the table when she slammed her fists down. Surprisingly the table held but you weren’t sure how many more hits the poor thing could take. Speaking of hits, you held your head as a painful pulsating began at the top of your skull. You clutched at your head as your slumped forward. “Hey, you okay, punk?”

Nope. You were far from okay. But you knew what this pain was coming from because you had experienced something similar about a week ago. You curled up into a ball in your chair as the pain grew to the point that you were having trouble breathing. Why did this have to hurt? Why did you have to have a body made of matter instead of magic? Why did you have to drink that damn drink so that you hated your life so much in this moment in time?

Undyne wrapped an arm securely around your shoulders and gave a gentle reassuring squeeze. “Hey! C’mon, talk to me! What’s up? What’s wrong? Head? Heart? SOUL? Do we need to go to the hospital or can we just go straight to Alphys?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke in your ear. You must be really scaring her for her to speak like this to you.

Shaking your head, you buried your head into her shoulder and focused on her breathing. At this point, it would just be easier to wait until the pain had run its course. You didn’t want to cause a scene with Undyne running at full speed to Alphys’s lab without any regard to anyone who gets in her way.

The fish monster rubbed small circles on your back. Unsure of what more she could do. You continued to distract from the pain by focusing on those circles and your breathing. The pain soon fading. Leaving you a weak tired mess. Pulling away from Undyne, you pulled the skullcap off the top of your head and felt around for the two appendages that had made that spot their home for the past week. Your friend eyed your actions curiously but didn’t say anything until you signed to her first. “Is there… anything up there?”

“Anything up there…?” Undyne straightened a bit so that she could get a good look at the top of your head before shaking hers. “Noooo… looks like a normal human head to me. Should I be finding something?”

You sighed in relief as your body sunk against Undyne’s muscular one. “No… thank you.” Finally, your life was going back to normal.

“Are you okay?”

You nodded your head.

“Well, don’t do that! Its not funny. I thought you were dying on me there for a second.” Undyne growled it at you but you could hear the concern in her voice despite the intimidation tactic.

“Awwww, you care about me.” You gave her a weak smirk as you signed it.

“You’re damn RIGHT I DO! We’re going to have Alphys check you out.” Undyne stood up and threw you over her shoulder. She left the comics where they were as she headed out of the library and towards her girlfriend’s lab. A smile on your face.

Well, as normal as your life gets.


	70. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting... A combination of being busy and tired equals I didn't get the chapter done. Here it is now though!
> 
> Word Count: 3625

“WHAT?! HOW?!”

You swung gently upside-down in the middle of the hallway leading to Mettaton’s office by both of your legs. A weird puzzle-like contraption was connected to the wall branching up onto the ceiling. You were strung up by some really strong rope, hair not even touching the floor, with the biggest smirk on your face. 

BP stood in front of you with the skullcap you borrowed from Sans in his orange hands. He had, finally, caught you in one of his traps and had gotten the hat off… only for the ears to be conveniently missing. Much to the poor cat monster’s dismay.

During your examination in the university lab by Alphys and Sans, you had made them and Undyne promise not to spread the rumor that not only did you have cat ears but that they were now gone. You figured that one of the best ways to get back at BP for his shenanigans was to go back into work with the skullcap on your head only for him to successfully get it off with no ears in sight. The current look on his face….

_Was priceless._

All the blood in your body was working its way down to your head but this was entirely worth the slight dizziness that it brought. Growling, BP threw the cap on the floor in frustrated anger as he ranted on. “GODAMMIT! I went through all the trouble of setting traps throughout the entire place only for those ears to be gone?! I claim bullshit!”

Silently giggling like crazy, your swaying increased a bit from the small movements. How many other poor people have been caught in this guy’s attempts at getting the hat off your head? Or had he warmed them about the traps he had planned out? 

A sudden surprised scream from farther down the hall followed by a very pissed off “BP WHERE ARE YOU?!” Told you all you needed to know on that front. BP was too far into his own frustrated ranting to even notice your coworker’s angry cries. At this point, you were full blown laughing silently at the cat monster despite the small pulsing headache that was starting to form.

“FINE! DON’T LISTEN TO ME!”

The sudden, thunderous, feral yell that came from Mettaton’s soundproof office had you and BP both freezing in your spots with all the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. You both turned your attention to the office just as the large door was thrust open and the large form of Asgore made his way out. He slammed the door shut behind his massive goat-like body and brought his paw (hand?) to his snout letting out a heavy frustrated sigh.

Glancing sideways at BP, the look on his face was confirming the thoughts in your head. You had not known that Asgore was going to be here today and by the looks of it, BP had not known either. Not only was the visit a surprise but you have never seen the king of all monsters this angry before. Then again, you haven’t seen him in person since your hospital visit due to your heart condition and that was months ago. The only other times were whenever the poor guy had ended up on the news due to some humans trying to make a scandal out of nothing or because of politics. Which was unfortunate because you really did like him. You really needed to go hang out with him, Toriel, and Frisk at some point.

Asgore mutters a bunch of things under his breath but his words are too low for either of you to make out. The two of you stayed where you were (even though you were kind of stuck until someone got you down) quietly. Neither of you wanting to get the powerful monster’s attention. Though he wasn’t known for taking his anger out on others, it was still a rather intimidating thing to see. You sincerely hoped that you never got on this guy’s shit list. 

The monster king heaved another sigh before turning to head down the hallway only to stop when he noticed you and BP. There was a brief pregnant pause while the three of you were locked in a stare down. The pissed off monster and the two unsure pranksters. “Good morning, BP and (y/n). I can see that you two are already having quite the productive day.” Asgore’s deep voice broke the silence as the frustrated demeanor on his face cracked into mild amusement.

“Yeeaaaahhh… you could say that.” BP stated while relaxing a small bit alongside you, now that Asgore’s anger seemed to dissipate. Then again, seeing one of his human acquaintances strung upside down in the middle of the hallway by one of his subjects looking dejected, for some reason, probably had something to do with it. That and you probably were looking more like a tomato than a human at this point. Were those black spots in your vision?

The goat monster’s voice rumbled deeply as he chuckled at you both. “I hope you do not mind me asking but (y/n)… do you think I could steal you for the day? I have some… things to discuss with you and we haven’t really had a chance to catch up, have we?”

Blinking in surprise at the offer, you turned to your orange cat monster friend while quirking your eyebrow at him questioningly. You were sure that Mettaton wouldn’t mind too much considering it was Asgore. It wasn’t like you had anything really that you HAD to get done today either. The only thing that you really needed to do was dance practice and you could clear out the living room at home to do that. If this was just going to be a simple chat, you would have asked him to come over on your lunch break but with what you just witnessed (and the way Asgore asked you) it seemed that this was going to be a pretty heavy talk. But you definitely needed to get it cleared by Mettaton first. You didn’t want to get into a fight with him over something that he and Asgore fought about. There was no way that you wanted to go behind his back like that. You trusted the robot completely. If whatever they were talking about pertained to you, he would let you know. Still. You have been wanting to catch up with him and now was a good a chance as any…

“Do you want to go? I mean we still have dance practice but we can always do it later. It would just be review since you haven’t danced the choreography for a while. Regardless, I’ll give Metta a heads up if you do.” BP offered with a slight shrug. He was giving you an out and you definitely appreciated it.

You pondered your options for a moment as the black spots in your vision grew. If you weren’t taken down, you were going to pass out soon from all the blood in your head. Mettaton would know where you are and you’d catch up with Asgore at the same time. Might as well. You nodded your head to BP while making grabby hands at him to let you down. With the way that the trap was set up… how was he supposed to get you down by himself in the first place?

Seeming to reach the same conclusion, Asgore stepped forward and easily hefted your body into his arms. Allowing the rope to go slack enough for your legs to wiggle free. Your hands came up to hold your head as it rolled onto his chest from the sudden movement. A wave of vertigo causing you to snap your eyes shut. Yeah, you should have gotten BP to get you down sooner. This sucked.

“I think you may have kept her strung up a tad too long.” The goat monster’s voice rumbled out and you could feel the vibrations from his chest. It had a slight chastising tone to it but there was more mirth in it than anything.

Asgore wasn’t the only one to notice your sluggish movements. “Yeah, sorry about that lil’ bud. That wasn’t in the original plan.” You could only imagine BP rubbing the back of his head with an apologetic look because you still had your eyes closed. You just waved him off. It wasn’t like he had planned to keep you upside down on purpose. With Asgore coming out the way he had, you both had gotten distracted. It was your own fault that you hadn’t made your predicament known sooner.

Chuckling at you both, Asgore shook his head while stepping around BP. “Do not worry, young one. I will take care of our human friend.” You felt yourself moving. Cracking an eye, you watched as Asgore worked his way out of MTT Studios and into an awaiting pitch-black van. The van itself was a modified version of a very popular brand. It was made with Asgore in mind so that he could easily sit in it without his horns creating a skylight every time he got in the car. However, it was made a lot like the Pope mobile or something the president would use because of the kind of figurehead Asgore and his family was. Bulletproof windows, armored sides… the works.

“Why don’t you take a moment to collect yourself? If I remember, it isn’t good for a human to be hung upside down for too long. Don’t you pass out if too much blood goes to your head?” The tall monster mused as he got you and himself settled into the backseat of the vehicle. You nodded your head while rubbing your temples with your hands. The vertigo was almost gone but you still felt bad. BP’s face was still worth it though. “Well, when we get back to the house, I’ll make sure to make some tea. It is sure to help in some way.”

Nodding again, you buckled yourself in as the driver pulled away from the studio and headed off towards the Dreemurr family home. Taking advantage of the 20-minute ride, you slumped against Asgore’s side. His large fluffy body making for the best kind of pillow. If only you could hug him like a teddy bear without appearing just plain weird.

 

The ride was uneventful. You ended up dozing off a bit against the goat monster while you were waiting for your blood flow to regulate throughout your body, as it normally should be. Soon you were at the massive house and sitting on one of the comfy couches, in the living room, sipping some hot tea that was doing wonders for your head.

Asgore asked about how you have been holding up since the heart scare and you were more than happy to fill him in on all that he has missed. He sipped his tea patiently. Only cutting in when he had a question or to vocally react to one of your stories. You told him everything. The lighthearted things like you and Mettaton getting together… to the dark things… like Koppel. You alternated light and dark pending on what tangent you went off in but, whenever you signed about the stalker treatment you received from the reporter, you could feel the tension in the air as Asgore’s magic responded by making the room a bit hotter.

Eventually, your hands dropped into your lap. The muscles aching for signing for about 4 hours straight. Picking your tea back up, you finished it, even though it had long since gone cold. The monster king seemed to be mulling over all of the information that you had just provided for him as he leaned back in his seat. The leather making weird noises as he moved. Why does leather do that?

You grabbed the cute teapot and poured yourself a new cup. Also grabbing a cookie from the plate on the coffee table between the two of you. If you had your say, then you were going to swipe a bunch to take home. Toriel’s cookies were the best. No Toriel’s COOKING was the best. Whenever you had the chance to indulge, you took it. The monster king moved so that he was sitting straight and you were taken aback by the regal aura that he was giving off. Asgore had a kind of regal air to begin with but now that he was sitting the way he was with his back straight and shoulders leveled while in a fancy custom suit… it was even more apparent than normal.

He cleared his throat as you continued to nom on your cookie. Not really caring how childish you may look. “I am very sorry that you had to go through all of that. It is horrendous to think of what could have happened if Papyrus and Mettaton hadn’t of stepped in when they did. You have done nothing more than be a good friend to us monsters and it saddens me that situation with Koppel happened. No one should fear for their life just because they are friends with those who are different from them.”

“Don’t worry about it. Koppel has been dealt with… for now.” You signed while trying to give a reassuring smile to Asgore but you weren’t sure if it came off as more of a grimace or not.

“Hmm…” the goat monster leaned forward to pour himself some more tea and topped you off while he had it. “Even though, it saddens me… I can’t say that I am all that surprised. Noted, most humans have been nothing but supportive of monster rights and our endeavors. Yet… the longer we are on the surface it appears that our novelty has begun to wear off.”

“Novelty?”

“Humans were curious about us. Your species has been down in the darkest depths of the ocean all the way to beyond the boundaries of our planet to the stars.” His eyes have gone distant and you have forgotten about your tea in favor of listening to the monster’s every word. “Then suddenly… a race of people lost to time just pops out of the ground right under your noses. Not only are we sentient and capable of complex thought, just like your species, we also have magic unique to the type of monster we are and technology that is advanced despite being stuck with your scraps of technological advancement that had been discarded. Just imagine how that must have felt? To think that you knew almost everything about your own world only for it to be turned upside down entirely by our presence.”

“It… must have felt… weird, to be honest.” You signed to Asgore as you thought over his words. In all honesty, the resurface of monsters had surprised you but it hadn’t really meant to much to you. You were glad that they were above ground again; it was just that their appearance hadn’t had a direct impact on your life, at the time. “We, humans, are a naturally curious species and often go to great lengths to dissect the unknown until we can understand it. When we don’t understand something… it scares us. So much so that we have to degrade it, fight it, beat it down until we feel that we can either control it or at least keep it in check. Those who break the norm, those who are different… whether it is genetic or not, are thrown to the side. Until they make their own place, get beaten down ‘til they are in society’s standards, or they simply give up on life.”

“I’m not saying that it’s the right way to do things… It’s actually downright horrible. Yet, that is how things are. Though compared to hundreds of years ago, we have made great strides in becoming more accepting of things we don’t understand as well as change but we still have a long way to go.” You reached for your teacup again. Not to take a drink but just to have something to do with your hands.

Asgore nodded his head in agreement. “Though don’t group all humans together. Not all are the same.” At this, he gave you a playful wink that had a small smile forming on your lips. “But that is just it, the curiosity of humans is wearing off and it is being replaced with acceptance, indifference,… or fear. As such, many more anti-monster activists and groups have come out of the woodwork. To the point… I am beginning to fear for my people and the humans that associate with them.”

You blinked at that. This was certainly news to you. Sure, there had been that group of people outside the studio for a while but that had stopped months ago. All of it dying out the moment Koppel’s obsessive nature had been revealed. Other than that, you had heard of a couple small incidents of humans trying to intimidate monsters but those humans were being held to the fullest extent of the law. Then again, you haven’t been really watching the news. It’s too sad. If it was really a big deal then it would trickle down to you via friends or the internet. Therefore, you weren’t really worried about checking the news.

“There have been a lot more confrontations as of late and it seems that with the way things are going… everything will be coming to a head soon. Very soon.” The massive monster heaved a heavy sigh before turning his attention back to you. “This is the reason why I had come unannounced to speak with Mettaton today. I fear that the upcoming concert may be a target for whatever those groups are planning. It’s the next biggest event and gathering of monsters. Yet, I feel that I didn’t get the gravity of the situation across to Mettaton.”

“I’m even more convinced of this because of the way your relationship is making waves in the media. Lots of people see you as a pro-monster icon. You stood up for the studio despite constant harassment, you’ve appeared in photos with almost all the big figure heads in monster society, not to mention the shots of you hanging out with Mettaton alone.” It was at this moment that it looked as though Asgore looked tired. Just so completely tired. “Koppel most certainly wasn’t the only one to take notice of you and this is what scares me. If not addressed, I fear what may come.”

Your hands felt heavy… no your entire body felt heavy at the news. Had you really made more headlines than you realized? You knew about a few things but not nearly as much as to what Asgore is hinting at. If you had made that big of waves… wouldn’t one of your friends had told you? Unless they assumed that you already knew. You curled in on yourself at the thought of hundreds of people despising your existence just because you actively flaunted your monster friends. You didn’t regret it one bit but the thought was terrifying of itself.

Not realizing that you had begun to tremble, you felt a gentle yet firm hand on your shoulder and looked up to see that Asgore had stood up to calm you. “The reason why I asked you here was so that we can prevent something bad happening in the future. I ask that you talk with Mettaton. Try to get him to see this situation from another point of view. I have nothing but all of your best interests at heart. It would be horrible for something to happen just because we chose to not act.”

That… made a lot of sense. Even though you didn’t know him that well, you could feel the protective fatherly aura that he was giving off. He really was worried about you. It was kind of sweet. Sitting a bit straighter, you gave Asgore a small smile. “I… I will try my best. It was nice to talk to you again. We need to stop meeting under such dramatic situations.”

“I completely agree, young one.” The large monster chuckled.

“Well… I should probably head back to the studio. Mettaton will more than likely have cooled off by now.” You stood up after finishing your cold tea and made your way to the door with Asgore following behind.

“Please allow me to escort you back.”

There was no way you could deny him after the conversation that you had. Just like the ride before, you sat in silence. Though the air was significantly heavier than it was previously while you processed everything. Because of this the 20-minute ride went by fairly quick and soon you were bidding the monster king farewell as you entered the studio without incident.

Your feet carried you automatically through the hallways until you were standing outside of Mettaton’s office door. You stood there lost in the thoughts in your head. Was Asgore right in assuming the concert was going to be a target? Were you making Mettaton and yourself an even bigger target by being with him? (even though only your friends knew about your official relationship.) Was there anything you could even do at this point?

With a heavy sigh, feeling as if the world was on your shoulders, you looked at Mettaton’s door and raised your hand. It was time to figure all of this out.


	71. Chapter 47

Sometimes being mute was just a huge inconvenience. For example, let’s say you get into an argument with someone. While you have to sign with your hands, all they have to do is talk over you. It didn’t matter if the person was doing it on purpose or not. It still sucked.

Unfortunately, that’s what Mettaton ended up doing once you told him that you had talked to Asgore after the monster king had stormed out. Even though, BP had told him about it earlier. Though, in all honesty, the robot wasn’t mad that you had caught up with Asgore. He was more mad about the topics that Asgore had discussed with you. Also the fact that you appeared to be rather terrified of the news that he had given.

Eventually, you just give up even trying to get a word in edgewise and plopped down on the fancy window seat while your robot boyfriend paced in front of you ranting about how Asgore went behind his back. This wasn’t your first rodeo in dealing with the angry robot. Soon he would begin to wind down and then he would realize that he had carried on, apologize, then you would finally get your say. At least, he wasn’t one of those people who didn’t let others explain themselves and took things at face value. It was probably the reason why any of the fights you have had never lasted more than an hour. Hard to keep fighting when the both of you are understanding and want to work it out rather than sulk or mope. It also helped that you both respected each others opinions. 

At one point, you had gotten up and grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge by his desk before heading back to your favorite spot in his office. Being careful to stay out of Mettaton’s warpath. Yes, he was still ranting but you were listening the whole time. He knew it to or else he would have called you out on it. So you sat, once again, taking a sip from the water bottle just as Mettaton’s ranting began to peter off.

Finally.

“-and you have enough on your plate as it is! You really didn’t need to be even more stressed out than you already were!” the robot stopped right in front of you while flinging his arms to the side for emphasis. He looked down at you while you nonchalantly sipped from the water bottle and it was like someone slowly let the air out of a balloon. He just deflated. The robot hunched forward with his arms hanging while heaving a heavy sigh. “Songbird… look… I’m sorry but your SOUL’s health has improved by leaps and bounds. No one knows what all the stress this could have actually done so I kept it all from you. This is all new territory not only for you but monsters as well.”

He straightened back up and ran one of his hands through his black locks. “I’m not exactly happy that Asgore talked to you about all of this… but I can’t say that I don’t understand why. Somehow, since this all started, I’ve managed to shield you from all of the media onslaught but with what Koppel managed to do… I don’t think I have the capability of doing that as easily as before…” Mettaton headed over to his desk and sat down like gravity had increased on him immensely. Somehow the chair didn’t break under the robot’s metal weight. “Come here, Sweetheart… I might as well show you everything now.”

You begrudgingly hopped up from your spot on the window seat as it turned from a snowy landscape into a cave with glowing flowers. Why couldn’t he own a laptop and let you sit in the pretty window seat? So you moved to settle into Mettaton’s lap. One of his hands snaked around your waist while the other flew across the keyboard to bring up whatever it was that he had to show you.

Mettaton brought up several big name media websites. CNN, MSNBC, FOX…, just to name a few, had several articles trying to figure out who you were and your relationship with monsters. There were several photos of you wandering around public spaces or in the studio with your monster friends with paragraphs of speculation filling up the spaces nearby. Then there were the ones like TMZ. These articles were small, gossipy, not a lot of fact checking involved. They were mainly the author’s opinions based on their personal views of monsters and how they interpreted your random appearances. Regardless of what was said… Asgore’s words from earlier were ringing true.

You were a media enigma.

Mettaton’s efforts of keeping you under the radar has left people performing their own investigations. Personal information dug up from social media sites were used as facts. Pictures from paparazzi… Even some that were taken by Koppel were used. There were some photos that you didn’t know how they were taken that had made you shiver in dread. If they had been that interested in who you were then why didn’t they just come up and talk to you? So you signed that question to the robot star, he chuckled humorlessly.

 

“Because I told them all you weren’t to be bothered. Even though they are reporters and paparazzi… there is only so much they can do before police will get involved for stalking and the like. Most will back off much sooner than that needs to be addressed. But they respected my words that I wanted you left alone. You weren’t a big name actress or musical artist… All they knew was that you had won the song contest and, instead of leaving once we were done, you stayed on to work in my studio. Whenever they asked, that’s basically all the information that I gave them. Nothing in depth and nothing detailed. They didn’t need to know… But…” Mettaton’s free hand toyed with his hair idly as he continued. “That changed when you stood up to those anti-monster protesters.”

His hand moved from his hair back to the keyboard and the tabs there were open closed with a bunch of new websites coming back in their place. They displayed several Pro monster and Anti monster groups discussing who you are. The ones that were pro monster were singing your praises. Most commenting on how brave you had been while standing up for the studio as well as other monsters. The comments kept going on and on. Painting you as a saint whereas the ones on the anti-monster sites were the exact opposite.

Horrible words such as traitor, bitch, and harlot were just a few of the least creative ones used. They trashed your person as much as they could just because they can. Everyone had anonymous usernames and icons. Nothing could be traced back to them and what was the chance that you would ever log in to look at these websites? There was even an article claiming that you were a monster. Not human. A few photos of you walking around the town near Mt. Ebott with the cat ears were used as proof.

Why was humanity like that? Why were humans so superficial? If these people had been talking to you in person, you could bet all of Mettaton’s fortune that they wouldn’t have the nerve to say even half of these things to you. They would probably be openly nice or avoid you entirely just for them to talk behind your back and put you down since you could never find out who they were.

Well, that wasn’t true. If it bothered you to much, you could probably ask Alphys to work some of her cyber hacking magic and figure out just who all of these jerks are. But what would be the point in that? It’s not like they are going to change their opinions over night.

“As you can see, you’ve attracted a lot of attention without really meaning too.” Mettaton’s sultry voice cut into your solemn thoughts and brought you back to reality. “I know that you thought you were helping when you stood up for the studio, which you did, but it had repercussions in attracting all of these people to you. Everyone knows that I hire humans. It’s not like I hide that I’m an equal opportunity workplace. But people like to stick everything to a figure head and guess what you’ve become? You’ve gained a voice as a positive figurehead as a human looking out and helping monsters.”

Turning back from looking at Mettaton as he spoke, you eyed the websites opened on his computer screen. It was like looking at two sides of the same coin. On one side, everything was amazingly sweet. Unknown people from around the world were supporting you with kind words and gestures alone. On the other, it was insanely terrifying. People indirectly threatening and slandering you without a care in the world. You shuddered.

Mettaton tightened the arm that he had around your waist reassuringly. “To be honest, I have been pretty lax with you and Asgore is right. Crimes against monsters has done nothing but risen in the past few months. Whose to say they won’t go after human supporters next? Especially ones you are close to the royal family and other big figureheads in the monster community.” He lets out a heavy sigh as if he was mentally preparing himself to say something he was going to hate. “I can’t let that slide anymore. I’ve already upped the security around the studio and began planning with Undyne for the concert. Now all that’s left is you. Yes, you are surrounded by strong monsters all the time but we can’t be there all the time. So… would you consider taking one of the security bunnies as a bodyguard until things begin to level out, so to speak?”

You blinked. Not only was Asgore worried about your safety but Mettaton was worried enough to give you your own personal bodyguard? Just what the hell have you been missing on the news and why haven’t your friends been telling you about it? Sure it would have stressed you out but its not like it would have broken you. Your friends have always been there for you… so why couldn’t you be there for them? It was unlikely that you could do something physically about the human abuse but you could at least listen to alleviate the mental and emotional toll. Still… some of these photos were unnerving and it would be nice to have someone you could depend on nearby at all times. Sans could teleport to you but he also had a lot on his plate as well.

Slowly, you nodded your head to the robot. You could deal with having a bodyguard for awhile. “Would you mind if I pick Hoppity?” your hands asked him while you quirked an eyebrow at him.

Now it was Mettaton’s turn to blink. You knew he blinked because the hair covering his other eye moved at the same time. “No, I don’t mind… You’re really okay with me assigning you a bodyguard?” You nodded to him and the robot idol let out a breath in relief. “I thought, for sure, that you were going to fight me tooth and nail on this. Though I must say… you’ve really gotten attached to that purple bunny. Mind if I ask why him in particular?” The robot’s brow was arched and you had trouble fighting back the wicked grin that wanted to spread across your face.

“My my! Is a certain robot boyfriend jealous?” You signed to him while leaning your entire body back into his frame so that your head was laying on his left shoulder pad.

A small amount of pink flushed across his synthetic skin as he pointedly looked away from your sly smirk. “N-No! I just find it funny how you seem to have bonded with him over time despite you knowing all of them. Including their little sister Cinnamon.”

The grin on your face stretched even more. You KNEW that Cinnamon had to be related to the bunny brothers. Oh man, you felt bad for when that adorable little ball of fluff starts dating. “Bonding by trauma is still bonding. Besides, this will give me a chance to catch up on the telenovelas he has been dying to show me.”

“Telenovelas?”

“Spanish soap operas. Some are so bad and cheesy that they’re good.”

Mettaton chuckles at this. “Oh lord. Do I even want to know?” He leaned forward as he spoke and closed out all of the tabs that he brought up. 

“Hey, hey! It’s because of those shows that I learned to speak Spanish.” You signed with a huff.

“Oh, really?” his eyebrow was arched again but with amusement this time. “Care to share some of your vast language knowledge?” You stuck your tongue at him as you dramatically and slowly rose your hands to respond to the monster.

“Tacos.”

The robot uncharacteristically snorted as you slowly spelled out the word for emphasis. “W-what?”

“Chalupa.”

“I don’t think the Taco Bell menu counts.” He was having trouble trying to maintain his composure but failing epically. Your grin had to be able to rival the Cheshire cat’s at this point.

“Burrito.”

“If you were hungry, all you had to do was say so.” Mettaton gently flicked your nose in retaliation. “You know what? After such a dramatic and emotionally trying day, I think we are both in need of a treat.”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

 

Standing on the edge of a sidewalk, you allowed your eyes to take in the curious sights before you. “Mettaton.”

“Hm?”

“Why is there a Japanese themed festival smack dab in the middle of town and how did you know about it?” Sure enough, the entire street before you had been pardoned off for all of the vendors and games. Paper lanterns were strung up across the entire expanse of the festival with hundreds of monsters and humans alike browsing the stalls.

The robot shrugged while gently pushing you forward into the crowd with him. “Alphys and Undyne got together with some other fans of anime and manga. They came together and petitioned the city to give them permission to hold a small Japanese-like festival. With the sheer amount of names on the list, it was almost impossible for the city to say no.”

So a bunch of anime fans got together to bring about an entirely new festival to the city that (by the looks of it) was an insane hit. You weren’t going to deny that you were rather impressed. Then again, Alphys and Undyne were involved. This turn of events didn’t surprise you in the least but it made you wonder if Mettaton had planned on taking you here today all along.

As the two of you wandered around ,you recognized several stalls from the anime nights that you had ended up binging on with Alphys and Undyne, Mask stall, dumplings, ramen, and… your eyes go wide at the one stall that took up a size-able portion of the sidewalk it was on. It was easily the length of 3 other stalls and for good reason. There was three decent sized rectangular pools filled with Japanese killifish and goldfish. It was the ever fabled fish scooping game.

With an excitement you didn’t even now you had, you made your way over to the game to stand next to the people who were watching some small kids try to catch a goldfish with their poi. One of them letting out a frustrated cry when the paper on their poi ripped and the little fish swam free. You watched the colorful reds, oranges, and blues of the fish swim about in their enclosures. There presence oddly relaxing.

You were pulled out of your trance-like state when a poi was presented right in front of your face by the stall owner. “Don’t you want to give it a try, sweetheart?” A gloved hand rested itself on your shoulders and you looked up to see a grinning Mettaton behind you. Nodding your head vigerously, you moved to the now unoccupied pool and took the bowl you had been also offered. Looking at the poi in your hand, you noted how the thin paper looked almost translucent. As if the slightest wind could break it. Well, time to put your fish scooping skills to the test.

How did some of these people make it look so easy? After about 45 minutes of pure concentration and 5 broken poi later, you have 4 cute little goldfish in your bowl along with 3 allusive killifish that you were really proud to have caught. It had made it an even bigger challenge to catch them since they were a naturally faster fish. However, with you being stooped over for so long, you needed a break.

The vendor took the bowl of fish from your hands and put them into a bag so that you could take your adorable little things home. Careful not to jostle them, you held your babies close as you wandered the rest of the festival with Mettaton by your side. “You really love those cuties don’t you?”

“I’ve already named them.” You signed to him carefully. There was no way you wanted to accidentally jostle the bag to much and end up killing one of the things.

“Oh?”

Lifting the bag away from your chest so that he could get a better look, you began pointing to certain ones and spelling out their names. “The almost blue killi is Undyne 2. That goldfish that’s almost yellow is Alphys 2. Then the other two killi are Sunny and Flash. The other three goldfish are called Bubbles, Jewel, and Fishkins.”

“Fishkins? Really?” Mettaton snickered at the poor goldfish that you had named as he took the bag from your hands to get a better look. “Come to think of it, Darling… do you even have anything to put these guys in? Let alone take care of…?”

You froze in place at his words. In all of the excitement of being able to play the game you hadn’t realized that you had nothing to care for them in. No tank, no food… nothing. Your fish babies were going to suffocate in a plastic bag. 

“I guessed as much. Songbird, don’t make such a worried face? Do you think I would just let these beauties die after you got them? This just means we have a shopping trip to go on.” Mettaton wrapped his arm around your shoulders to steer you back towards the parking lot while his other gently handed you back the fishies. Resolve filled your entire being.

Mission: Save your fish babies was a go.


	72. Chapter 48

“This goes here…. and that means that plugs in there…”

“mettaton.”

“That means that all I have to do is set this here…”

The sounds of clinking and metal came from your bedroom as Mettaton and Sans worked together to set up all the things that the robot idol had bought at the pet store. You sat at your kitchen table watching one of your bigger glass bowls filled with water. Your adorable little fish babies swam in the makeshift pool happy to be free of their tiny plastic prison. Earlier, you were terrified that you had been taking to long in the store since a couple of the fish had begun to slow down in their movements. 

After leaving the festival, Mettaton had taken you over to the nearest pet supply store. In all honesty, you were totally fine with just purchasing the basics: a nice tank, sand, food, a couple decorations, etc. Nothing to fancy for now. You just wanted to get your babies out of the bag and into an environment where oxygen was continuously pumped into the water so they could breathe. Unlike the plastic bag that they were all drifting in at the time.

Mettaton had other plans. He picked up every book he could that the store had and read them all at an insane speed. Even though he was a ghost monster in a robot shell, you wondered if there was some sort of processor that helped him pick up information faster. That or he was just a really fast reader? You would have to ask him later when your fish babies lives weren’t in jeopardy. Needless to say, he only picked the best of the best and, by the time you both left with your purchases, you felt like you had ended up buying the entire fish section of the store.

You got the fishies into the bowl while Mettaton had begun to unload everything into your house. With all of the noise, Sans had noticed the commotion and had invited himself over. The robot idol had no qualms in dragging the small skeleton into his building escapades. Now you were waiting in the kitchen, out of the boys’ way, as they set up the massive tank that was way to big for your babies. You were still curious as to how the hell the two monsters had managed to get the massive thing into your house through the doorway. When asked, all Sans said was “maaagic” and gave you some jazz hands, in which you ended up throwing the empty wet plastic bag your fish had been in at him. You were never going to learn the true answer to that. 

Looking up from the bowl, you glanced at the clock to check the time. Not only were you waiting in here to stay out of the way but you were also waiting for when Papyrus was coming over. Sans had left a note on their front door for him to head over to your place once he was back home from work. Knowing how polite the skeleton was and how loud the other two monsters were being, it was better if you waited here so that you could hear the taller skeleton. Papyrus would only barge in once it was confirmed that you were home.

Speaking of the other two monsters… you strained your ears to make out their voices over all of the other noises that they were making. After a couple moments of concentration, you were able to pick them out. How come they were making so much noise while trying to put a fish tank together? Better yet… where exactly were they putting it in your bedroom?

“mettaton, i don’t think-”

“Then all I have to do is plug it in!”

“metts, wait! that’s not-”

“YEAAAAGH!”

There was a loud zapping noise and suddenly all of the lights flickered as your entire house was descended into darkness. You stood up quick as a flash and made your way to your room, careful to avoid the parts and mayhem that the two monsters had left in the hallway. Your feet skidded to a halt as you rounded the doorway into your room. Only to stop and clap your hands to your mouth at the sight before you.

Sans had upended your bed and was using it as a barrier between himself and the tank that was being set up on the opposite wall. Eye sockets wide with his left one flashing the yellow/blue mix that always happened when he used magic. Tools and parts were strewn about on the floor leading a trail over to the large fish tank that Mettaton had one hand in. The robot’s normally fabulous hair stood on end with a small bit of smoke drifting above in a dark halo. He hadn’t moved and stood 100% still. His body completely rigid from the electrical shock that he had received.

You glanced at Sans before taking a timid step towards your robot boyfriend. Thanking the stars that it was still early evening and the sun was still out so it wasn’t pitch black in your house. “Mettaton…? Are you okay?” you signed to the robot before reaching your hand out to touch him. Only for your body to be encased in blue as Sans lifted you up towards the ceiling and away from the robot star. Blinking in surprise at suddenly floating instead of being on the ground, you gave Sans a rather pointed look.

“hey hey, don’t give me that. i just saved you from a rather shocking experience. if you had touched that huge hunk of metal.” The small skeleton stated as a bead of sweat made its way down the top of his skull. “lemme just…” He lowered his arm and you with it until your feet were safely touching the carpet once again.

The blue aura dissipated and Sans turned his attention to the still not moving form of Mettaton. The ghost robot monster’s body was surrounded by the skeleton’s magic. With extreme precision, Sans carefully extracted Mettaton away from the electrical doodad that had plunged your house into darkness when he messed with it. Even with the conductor gone, your house’s lights remained off and you silently grumbled to yourself. Mettaton must have blown the breaker when he did whatever it was that he did.

Now that your eyes had adjusted to the dim light, you noticed that your boyfriend wasn’t online. His bright LED eyes were out and there was no control to his limbs save for what Sans was doing with his magic. Was he alright? Was he hurt? Could he die from something like that? Your worry must have shown on your face because Sans was by your side patting your shoulder reassuringly in a flash. “don’t worry, bud. the electrical surge just overloaded his system. all you gotta so is trigger a reboot.”

Sans timidly approached the robot as he gently set him on the ground. The skeleton pressed one of the circles above Mettaton’s visible eyebrow and flinched as though he was expecting a jolt. His body relaxing immediately when it never came. “there that should do-”

“HUMAN!” the yell was followed by a loud bang as Papyrus, no doubt, kicked your door in and dashed down the hallway to your bedroom. His eyes flaring orange with his magic. “I HEARD A SCREAM AND THEN ALL THE LIGHTS IN YOUR HOUSE WENT OUT! ARE YOU OKAY?”

You couldn’t help but silently chuckle as the lights in Mettaton’s eyes flickered on and he reached up to rub his forehead. “I’m fine. We just had a pretty en _light_ ening experience though. Mettaton was just ec _static_.” You signed to the tall skeleton with a playful smirk on your face.

“NO! BAD SONGBIRD!” the robot wailed from his position on your bedroom floor. “NO PUNNING AT MY EXPENSE!”

Rolling your eyes, you stuck your tongue at the downed monster before turning back to Papyrus. “How many people does it take to put together a fish tank?”

“I DO NOT KNOW… HOW MANY?”

“Three. A human and two monsters with one of the monsters being a scientist in Quantum Physics and engineering and the other getting electrocuted.” Sans snorted at your words while Mettaton groaned on the floor. You turned to the two monsters in question with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously, how the hell did you two manage that? I’ve never heard of someone getting electrocuted while putting together a fish tank.”

“we just ended up _flounder_ ing with the instructions a bit.” Sans stated with a shrug. His already bright grin growing wider at his brother’s playful shriek of dismay.

“BROTHER, NO! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR PUNS! I JUST GOT HOME!” Papyrus heaved an overly dramatic sigh that had you silently laughing along with the small skeleton. “WHY ARE YOU GETTING A FISH TANK ANYWAY HUMAN?”

“I’ll happily show you in a minute. For now, I should probably go see what’s wrong with the breaker and see if I can’t get the lights back on.” As you started to make your way out of the bedroom, a skeletal hand caught your arm making you turn to its owner.

“don’t worry about that. lemme go figure it out. why don’t you take metts to show off your fish babies to paps?” Sans. Probably the laziest creature on this planet was offering to see what was up with your power breaker? How on earth could you say no to that? You nodded your head to your best friend while dragging his brother back towards the kitchen. Your poor boyfriend begrudgingly getting up from the floor to make his way after you.

The light from the sun outside was more than enough to keep the kitchen illuminated. So you introduced your adorable little babies to the tall skeleton who made a high pitched squeal of glee at the new additions to your household. Mettaton slumped into a kitchen chair while trying to get his hair back under control as you told Papyrus how you got the fish.

“NOW THAT YOU HAVE PETS, WE SHOULD SET UP A PLAYDATE WITH OURS!” The tall monster declared proudly. His eye sockets scrunching up while he watched the fishies swim about in the bowl.

“Sure… though it will have to be after they get accustomed to their knew home, Darling. Who knew a fish tank would be such a pain to set up?!” Mettaton stated with a vague disdain that had you silently chuckling at him.

You leaned in and helped him pat his black locks back into place. Receiving a small shock from the static that was still in his hair. The lights came back on but you didn’t pay them any mind. You had a robot boyfriend to tease. “Awww, you make such a caring fish daddy.”

Mettaton snorted before turning to you with an incredulous look. “Fish daddy?!”

“Fish daddy.” You nodded your head. “Fish daddy. Fish daddy. Fish daddy.”

“Please stop calling me that.” There was a soft thud when the robot’s head met the top of your wood table.

“BUT IT IS SURELY A HIGH HONOR TO BE CONSIDERED THE FATHER FIGURE OF SUCH CUTE CREATURES!” Ooooh, Paps. Could this skeleton make you love him any more than he already has? “I KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE A GOOD CARETAKER!”

“Mmm… I guess. By the way, what kind of pet do you have, sugar skull?” The robot lifted his face from the table when he tried to divert the conversation away from himself. You were going to let it go for now but there was no way you were going to let him forget.

“I DO NOT HAVE A PET BUT SANS DOES! PET ROCK!” Papyrus declared proudly with a small heroic pose. “THOUGH I HAVE TO ALWAYS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE LAZYBONES FORGETS TO FEED IT!”

Poor pet rock. You had noticed it at their house a couple of times but didn’t really pay it any mind. Did you have to feed rocks in The Underground? Or was it just like any other rock that a person claimed as their pet? You shrugged and offered the tall skeleton a big smile. “I’m sure pet rock wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, it has the Great Papyrus taking care of it.”

Papyrus nodded his skull at your words with a contemplative look on his face. “YOU ARE RIGHT, DEAR FRIEND! MAYBE THIS WAS MY BROTHER’S PLAN, AFTER ALL? HE KNEW THAT I COULD TAKE CARE OF IT BETTER THUS HE ALWAYS ‘FORGETS’.”

“oh nooooo. i’ve been exposed.” The deep voice of a certain skeleton brother broke into the conversation from the entrance to the kitchen. “hey what’s got metta out of sorts? did the shock do more damage than i thought orrr…?”

“WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING HOW HONORABLE IT IS TO BE CONSIDERED THE FATHER OF THE FISH!”

“Fish daddy.” You summarized with an evil smirk at the small skeleton that sent him into a laughing fit and made Mettaton let another dramatic groan. “On that note, I want to name the Godfather of the fishies just in case something happens to Mettaton and I. I want my babies to be well taken care of and I know that they will be since you’ve always had my back since we met.”

“awwww, i got your back too-”

“Papyrus, will you be my fish babies, Godfather?” You quickly turned to the taller brother while signing to show who you were talking too.

“ME?!”

Sans held his hands up to where his heart should be in mock hurt. “ouch. the lack of trust is _drowning_ me in sorrow.”

You rolled your eyes playfully at Sans. “Please, you would forget to feed them just like your pet rock.”

The small skeleton stumbled back a couple of steps as though you had struck him. He fell down to one knee still clutching at his chest. “another low blow. i’m _sinking_ over here… and even after i got everything set up so all we have to do is add the water to the tank…”

“What?” you blinked at his words. The surprise very prominent on your face.

“yeah, once i got the lights back on i figured i’d get the tank set up while mettaton was distracted. yet after all of my hard work… this is the _TANKS_ that i get? utter lack of trust… and betrayal.” Sans slowly slide to the floor playing dead and you couldn’t help but wonder if the skeleton was more dramatic than the robot monster is. 

Heading over to your best friend, you knelt down and tried to pick him back up in an attempt to hug him. But the bastard was cheating by using his own blue magic on himself to keep his body cemented in place so that you could barely lift him a centimeter off the ground. Noticing your struggle, the other two monsters decided to grant you pity and grabbed Sans where they could to try and heave the skeleton monster up.

“Geez, Sans! I know you keep telling me you are big boned but this is just ridiculous!” Mettaton exclaimed as he tried to lift the small skeleton by his stomach to no avail.

“SANS! RELEASE YOUR MAGIC! WE NEED TO GET THE HOME FINISHED SO THAT THE FISH CAN START ADJUSTING!” Papyrus attempted to heave his brother by his legs and managed to get them about a foot off the ground which was much better than and your combined efforts with Mettaton. You clicked your tongue in agreement since both of your hands were currently busy only earning yourself a long winded chuckle from the magicked skeleton.

After a good ten minutes of failing to try and get Sans off the floor, you gave up and went to the pantry to pull out one of the many ketchup bottles that you had stashed away for reasons just like these. Popping the cap and waving the open bottle near the top of Sans’s skull, you were rewarded with the skeleton releasing his magic and allowing the other two monsters to pull him upright. With the small skeleton back on the band wagon, the four of you went about preparing the tank.

Mettaton and Papyrus teamed up to start filling the huge tank with water while Sans and yourself went about decorating the interior. At one point, you gave up in trying to stay dry and just took your socks off to jump into the tank so that you could place things easier. Only to have Sans to close the top and refuse to let you out until you admitted that he was the pun master.

Revenge was going to be a sweet mistress to you one of these days.

Once the decorations were in place and the sand had properly settled in the tank that was now full of water, you began the process of slowly integrating your fish babies into their new home. Having one of them going belly up due to the shock of the abrupt change in water and temperature was the last thing you wanted to happen to them. They had been through enough until you brought them home.

Soon the four of you were sitting on your bedroom floor watching the fish investigate their huge new enclosure. You bed had been returned to its original position, though you hadn’t bothered to make it. Since it was so late in the day, you were going to be messing it up soon anyways. Your floor wasn’t in a much better state. Empty packages made of plastic and cardboard had been shoved to the sidelines so that the four of you could view your handiwork side by side.

Your heart swelled. The fish were happy, the skelebros were happy, Mettaton was happy… and you were happy. This moment was pure and you couldn’t remember having many of these before being pulled into the world of your monster friends. How could people not understand that these fellow beings just wanted acceptance and love? It, honestly, baffled you.

These people have put their necks out for you so many times it made your head spin and they did it without hesitation. They would do anything for you.

The soft smile on your face grew. You would do the same for them too.

Why couldn’t things stay like this?


	73. Underswap Special 2

To say that the air was tense was putting it VERY mildly. The stare down between you and the very Sans-like Papyrus was starting to make your anxiety spike. You hadn’t blinked ever since your gazes met and your poor eyes were starting to water. His posture wasn’t very intimidating. Hell, he looked like Papyrus and because of this it made him less intimidating physically. It wasn’t the winter weather chilling you to the bone. It was the aura that he was giving off that was freezing you to your spot.

This skeleton did NOT like you. He looked relaxed as he swirled the lollipop in his mouth but that menacing aura… You were afraid that he would incinerate you if you so much as blinked. Despite all of this, the little adorable Sans, that was standing next to you ,was completely oblivious to the situation. That or he was just choosing to ignore it.

Man, you wish that you could do the same.

“NOT ONLY DID SHE COME FROM THE SKY, SHE CAN DO MAGIC!” the small skeleton excitedly yelled and you watched as Papyrus’s relaxed slouched posture got a tiny bit tense. If it wasn’t for the fact you were so used to Sans, you would have just chalked the movement up to him getting more comfortable where he stood. It was a very subtle practiced movement.

“is that so, bro?” He spoke Papyrus’s voice but the tone was as if it came from your Sans. This whole situation was just confusing and weird. It was almost like the skeleton brothers… had switched personalities? Ugh, this was making your brain hurt and it already was doing that since you fell from the sky. The monster candy didn’t diminish all of the pains.

Little Sans nodded his skull excitedly. “YES! I HELPED HER MAKE THIS!” He pointed to the pulsing golden, star-shaped waypoint that you had made with your Sans’s magic and you so wished that you hadn’t let him help you now. It was bad enough that this Papyrus didn’t like you at first glance. Now you were either going to have to bullshit your way through this next conversation or you were going to have to explain that you were a human from another universe who is dating an international monster star that was bound to be someone they knew or one of their friends.

Yeah… that doesn’t sound crazy in the slightest.

Papyrus’s menacing aura seemed to get more pressure as he took a couple steps forward to look at the odd little thing between you and his brother. The pressure not helping as you were oddly reminded of Crimson’s murderous aura when you met him for the first time. Though Papyrus’s wasn’t as nearly as intense as Crimson’s. That robot had flat out wanted to kill you when you first met whereas it seems Papyrus was holding some reservations. You really hope that you were judging the situation correctly or else you may end up dying before Sans and Alphys could even attempt to get here.

You still haven’t blinked and your poor eyes were starting to sting painfully for being open for so long. The ominous feeling starting to bring you towards a panic attack but somehow you are managing to keep a slightly tense but reassuring smile plastered to your face. “so… what is that…?”

The tall skeleton was completely casual as he spoke but you could sense the hidden meaning behind it even if his innocent brother didn’t notice. “I DO NOT KNOW! BUT IT’S VERY PRETTY!” The small skeleton eyed your combined creation with wonder as his loud voice echoed about the clearing. Papyrus then turned to you with a browbone raised waiting for your answer.

An even more curious look crossed the skeleton’s face as you flipped your phone out and began typing into the text to talk app. To his credit, he patiently waits (though he is regarding you warily the entire time.) for you to finish before his browbones shoot up in slight surprise as your phone speaks for you. “It’s a shiny thing.” There is a bit of silence before you see a crack in the casual yet serious demeanor that Papyrus is giving off and you see a hint of amusement in his eye sockets.

“i see my brother has taken quite the _shine_ to it.” he rolls the lollipop in his mouth and regards you with a slightly bored expression. “but you didn’t answer my question.”

You gave him a cheeky grin, allowing yourself to relax a small bit as you typed out another response. “Yes, I did. Just not the way you wanted me too.” You know that you shouldn’t be playfully provoking him but he reminds you of your Sans so much that you can’t help it. It’s natural instinct to mess with your best friend at an given opportunity… even if his personality is swapped with his brother in this universe. Was that why you had been pulled in three different directions?

There was no doubt in your mind that one of the three was the machine that this universe had. There was also no doubt that one of the other pulls was in fact this world’s Sans. But that still didn’t explain the third pull. The machine was trained on Sans’s unique form of magic yet if the two were switched… in a way wouldn’t both of them have it?

Your head pulsed painfully at those thoughts and you shook your head to rid yourself of them. When you contacted your Sans, you’d ask him about it but for now you had an angry swapped Papyrus to deal with. “being a smart ass, eh?” The tall skeleton was still eyeing you as you finally blinked.

Sighing in relief, even though you still didn’t trust having that skeleton out of your sight. With fluid motions, you typed out your response. “It’s better than being a dumb ass.”

“LANGUAGE!” little Sans practically screeched at the two of you. That combined with the snort Papyrus had made after hearing the automated voice drawl out ‘dumb ass’, you erupted into a fit of silent laughter. The tense atmosphere disappearing. At least for a moment, as the three of you relaxed. What is it about robot voices saying bad words makes almost everyone amused? You, quickly, decided that you didn’t care because you didn’t want to look this gift horse in the mouth. It was really nice not feeling like you were going to be incinerated at any moment.

With no remorse in the tall skeleton, he finally looked away from you to eye his brother. “sorry, bro.” The little Sans seemed to simmer down a bit and once he did, Papyrus turned his attention to you. “soooo are you going to tell me what it is or not?”

You debated on it for a moment before deciding that you weren’t the best person to explain what was going on. Unconsciously, you hugged yourself tighter as the biting cold began to cut through the warm clothes that your Sans had made you wear. Secretly thanking the stars that he had the mindset to do that. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. Its just I’m not the best person to explain this. I can call someone but do you mind if we go somewhere warmer…?” The automated voice asked for you and you adjusted your little pack a bit.

“how do i know that you aren’t dangerous? or that thing?” Papyrus seemed to relax a bit since you seemed willing to tell him and his eye sockets told you that he had noticed how cold you appeared to be. It probably helped that you hadn’t lied to him yet. Dodged the question, yes but not outright lied.

Taking a bit of a chance, you let the voice speak up for you once again. “You can probably see my SOUL without pulling it out can’t you?” His eye sockets immediately narrowed at this and you hoped that you hadn’t accidentally put something in to offend him. Then again if you had guessed right, you somehow knew something about him without him knowing you at all. That would be enough to make anyone suspicious. “Just that its harder to see with all this flesh around it, right? Well, I can assure you that those cracks you see are very real and that I don’t have any LV or EXP.”

“CRACKS?!” Little Sans wailed in despair and you tried to ignore the blatant anguish in his voice. You never heard your Sans sound like that and you hoped to God that you never will. That was just heartbreaking.

The automated voice was forced to spell out LV and EXP because you had used the acronyms instead of the full terms. Despite all of that suspicion, you could see the slight worry as Papyrus looked at your chest with his browbone’s shooting up in surprise. Like he was just noticing the various hairline cracks in your SOUL for the first time. “jeez, kid. i thought you were fooling me for a second. are you alright? where did you get so many?”

A brisk wind made you shiver in your spot and you sent the tall skeleton a pleading look. “Can I please answer that somewhere warmer?” Papyrus regarded your request for a moment before holding his boney hand out to you.

“sure. you seem to be _shivering_ in anticipation in telling me.” There is a smirk on his skull as he said it and your smile grew as all the tension that had built from earlier finally left. Without any hesitation, you step forward and grab his hand yet take it a step farther when you latch on to him around his waist. Making it clear that this wasn’t your first jump through space and time. He chuckled at your antics. “hold on tight.”

Just like the way your Sans’s teleportation goes, you feel the ground disappear from under you and you are left with this momentary feeling of weightlessness. But as soon as you feel it, its gone and you are now standing in what appears to be a living room.

A large TV was hooked up to the wall in front of you with a large couch on the opposite side. There were stairs leading up to the second floor that had two rooms and on the ground floor there was a kitchen to your right. This place was an almost exact replica of the skeleton brothers house in Snowdin in you universe. They had taken you to see it once but it was abandoned whereas the skeletons still lived here in this universe. Had the barrier not been broken yet?

Now that you thought about it, little Sans did say that you were the SECOND human that he has captured in the span of a couple days. So was this the very beginning of Frisk’s run through here? Whereas in Crimson’s universe, they had stopped Frisk from trying to go to the king and were trying to find alternate ways to break the barrier, was this the very start of the child’s journey in this one?

You were excited at the aspect of meeting the other alternate versions of your friends. Though you weren’t sure who would have swapped with Frisk. Did that mean Mettaton was swapped too? Was there even a Mettaton in this universe or was he still a ghost? Your body buzzed with excitement and it took Papyrus snapping his fingers to bring you back to earth.

Oh right. You had things to explain. This worked out well because you probably should have called Sans and Alphys about a half hour ago. They were probably worried something had happened to you. “Where would you like to start?” The automated voice asked as little Sans barged into the living room from the front door.

“DON’T START WITHOUT ME! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND, PAPS?” The little skeleton looked angry but it just made him look cuter… Once again, you were stuck between calling them the same names as your friends and thus confusing yourself. Now was a good a time as any to pick out nicknames.

“sorry, bro. still don’t exactly trust our… guest.” the menacing aura was back but it wasn’t as intense as a little bit ago.

“SHE’S REALLY NICE BROTHER! BESIDES THAT IS EVEN MORE OF A REASON FOR NOT LEAVING ME BEHIND!”

“Wow, that’s _cold_. The magnificent Sans should have _snow_ problem taking care of a meek human like me.” The automatic voice of your phone broke into their conversation causing them to whirl their skulls at you.

“EXACTLY! I CAN HAND- WAS THAT A PUN?!” Little Sans (which you decided to call him sweet because the little skele was to sweet for this world.) ended with a look of disgust at the realization of your word play.

“two puns, actually.” His brother corrected and his wail turned into a screech of dismay.

“HUMAN! WHY HAVE YOU BETRAYED ME?!!? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!”

“We are friends. There _snow_ question about it.” You gave Sweet an innocent smile as your phone spoke and the screech returned.

“YOU USED THAT ONE ALREADY!”

“its an _ice_ pun. a classic.” Papyrus nodded (maybe you should call him Honey? He smells like it for some reason) his head in appreciation and Sweet threw his arms in the air completely done with both of your shit.

“PAPY, NO!” You go to type out another pun but Sweet catches your hands and looks at you playfully irritated. “HUMAN, NO!”

You couldn’t help the silent laughter that escaped you at the exchange as you wormed your phone out of the little skeleton’s hands. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop. What would you like to know?”

“WHY IS IT THAT YOUR PHONE SPEAKS FOR YOU?!” Sweet was quick to recover from your blatant teasing.

You gave the skeleton brother’s a somber smile as you typed out your response. You knew that would be the first thing they asked. It would be odd if they didn’t.

“That’s because I’m mute. I can’t speak otherwise.”


	74. Underswap Special 3

“.…mute?”

You nodded your head at the two skeletons who seemed a little confused at what you had just told them. “That’s right. When I was born, something in my genetics made it so that I couldn’t speak. Surely, there are monsters who have the same problem?” The robot voice spoke in your stead.

“WELL, SURE! BUT WITH OUR BODIES MAINLY BEING COMPRISED OF MAGIC IT IS A FAIRLY SIMPLE PROCEDURE TO FIX ISSUES SUCH AS DEAF, BLINDNESS, AND MUTENESS.” Sweet was more than happy to explain this to you with eager eyes.

“normally, it’s done while the kid is still a baby but there have been later cases because it wasn’t obvious from the start.” Honey cut in as he flicked the lollipop stick that was in his mouth into the kitchen trashcan before digging through his hoodie pocket for another.

That sounded about right. Considering Alphys had developed a formula for neko ears, it would make sense that they had something to fix things that could be a real issue. “WHY IS IT THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD THAT SURGERY, BIG HUMAN? THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOUR FAMILY DID NOT NOTICE!” It was weird how quickly Sweet’s emotions could switch. One moment he was a bundle of joy and the next his brow bone’s are furrowed with concern for your person. It was a weird thing to see, especially compared to your Sans.

“Humans have little to no magic within them, At least, where I come from. Our bodies are mostly matter and it is much more complicated to do things like that. Sometimes… pending on the situation… impossible.” You had a somber smile on your face as the voice continued to explain as to why you may never actually speak in your life. It has been awhile since you last had to explain something like this to someone. “Since mine is genetic, it is highly unlikely that any kind of surgery will be able to help.”

“is that why your SOUL has cracks?” Honey was looking at your chest again and you suppressed the shudder that wanted to wash over you. It was weird how it felt that he could see right through you just like Sans. Only he wasn’t Sans. Not your Sans or the Sans of this universe. This situation was just plain bizarre.

Regardless, you nodded your head and added more text input into the app. “Yes, though it is not the only reason. I have other physical issues that are heavily reflected as cracks. It’s only natural since, eventually, they may be the death of me but as of right now, I am the healthiest I have ever been. You should have seen it before I went through SOUL surgery.”

This didn’t seem to brighten the skeleton brothers’ mood at all. If anything it made it even worse. Sweets dashed forward and buried his skull into your abdomen while he latched onto your waist. “OH HUMAN! THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD CAPTURE YOU IN THE STATE THAT YOU ARE IN! INSTEAD, I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, SHALL HELP GET YOU INTO TOP SHAPE!” His loud voice was muffled but loud enough for you to hear every word he said clearly.

Silently giggling at the small skeleton’s actions, you lightly pat the top of his skull reassuringly. “Thank you, Sans but there is no need for that. I am already feeling better just by being in your presence.”

Because the automated voice spoke for you, there was no way that it sounded reassuring. Though your actions towards Sweets seemed to calm Honey down a tad bit more. The little skeleton turned from your stomach to his brother with big starry eyes. “PAPS! I’VE SAVED THE HUMAN!”

“good job, bro.” the taller of the two slouched a small bit into a more relaxed stance. “since you are feeling better, mind telling us how you got here? where you are from?”

His stance was relaxed but you could tell that Honey was ready to attack you if need be. You understood the lack of trust but it still hurt nonetheless. There was no need to be passive aggressive. But the tall skeleton had finally asked the loaded question. You heaved a sigh before looking him straight in the eye sockets with a such a determined expression that it appeared to unnerve the guy a little. “Promise to keep an open mind?”

Honey’s sockets narrowed slightly at the voice. “no promises but i’ll try.” Just like the way your Sans would say.

“Okay, fair enough.” You took a deep breath and released is slowly while you typed out the carefully worded response. That was probably the best that you were going get from the tall skeleton monster and you were going to have to take it at that. “My name is (y/n) and I’m from a different universe… or timeline.”

You paused to let those words sink in and an awkward silence descended upon your small group. It was Honey who broke it with a slightly amused grin. “cute story, kid. now really. how did you get here and where did you come from?”

“IT IS RUDE TO LIE, HUMAN!”

Annnnnd they didn’t believe you. Not to say that you weren’t surprised. Now you had to be a little creepy and discuss things that you shouldn’t know about them but do. Hopefully, they are understanding and not take it as you stalking them somehow or having mind reading abilities. “I can prove it. We just met and yet I know that you” You gesture to Honey. “can see SOULs without having to pull them out. I doubt the first human even knew that.”

It wasn’t the best proof but it was a start. Honey was already suspicious of you because of saying that earlier and now was the time to play on that suspicion. He cocks his skull at your words with an unreadable expression. “true. but there could be books on skeleton monsters on the surface.”

That… was a possibility, even if it was highly unlikely. Time to bring out the big guns. “This is Snowdin, correct?” Both their brow bones shot up at that but the robotic voice continued to speak on for you. You knew they hadn’t told you where they had taken you. Thank god you had been here a few times in your universe. “Now I’m not sure which one of you is working on it but in the basement of this house, which is only accessible by a door that is outside on the back of the house, there is a machine that was developed to attempt to access other timelines with the person of this universe that is currently the royal scientist. If you go and check on it, you’ll find that it may be a bit active.” It was vague but at the same time it was very specific.

Honey froze in his spot and you knew that you had hit the nail on the head. Before you could blink, the tall skeleton was gone only to be back a couple seconds later. His menacing aura was back and you backed up a few steps. “how did you…”

“That’s how I got here. Hang on, lemme call someone who can better explain it.” After the voice spoke you dug through your contacts on your phone until you found Sans’s number making sure to hit the video call option and to put it on speaker. Purposely ignoring the intimidating skeleton in front of you.

Now calling and texting across universes wasn’t the only thing Alphys had included in her upgrade bundle. She had gone crazy with all the stuff she had added and that included holographic calling. You sat the phone on the nearby couch as the sound of the phone ringing filled the room. Positioning it so that the camera had at least you in frame. Now that you thought about it, Sweet was being uncharacteristically quiet. On the sixth ring, someone finally picked up.

“heeeeeeyy, kiddo… was wondering when you were going to call us.” There as a blip sound and the forms of your Alphys and Sans was projected in the room. 

“W-we were starting to get a little worried when you didn’t call after setting up the waypoint. W-was it hard?” the small yellow dinosaur looked relieved and Sans seemed to visibly relax once his eye lights found that you had all of your limbs.

A bright smile graced your lips as you shook your head. “I had some help from a friend.” You signed to the camera breaking the two skeletons beside you of their trance like state.

“IS THAT ME?!” Sweet jumped in next to you and ran in as close to the hologram as he could. He tried to touch the image only for it to distort for a second as his arm fazed through. “HUMAN, I KNOW THAT I AM MAGNIFICENT BUT HOW ON EARTH DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER ME ON YOUR PHONE?”

You silently chuckled at the small skeleton before gently moving him to the side so that he wasn’t blocking the camera. “Mind translating for me, Sans? These two don’t know sign language.”

“two?”

At that word knowing that you were somehow talking about him, Honey slowly edged up behind you as he eyed the holographic monsters in scientific fascination. “okay, kid. you need to talk. now.”

“she has been. knowing asl can be a pretty _handy_ thing.” Sans stated with a shrug only to dodge a swipe from Alphys for his pun. “and sure, bud. i’ll be your translator.”

With your smile growing, you point to Honey and Sweet then to the two holograms. “Sans, Papyrus. I would like you to meet MY Sans and Alphys.” Your best friend translated your hand motions and waved to the two skeletons with Alphys.

“I-it’s a pleasure to meet the two of y-you. I-if you don’t mind me asking, how d-did you end up with them, (y/n)?” Alphys held a clipboard and a pen. Ready for any feed back that you were going to give her.

At this, you kind of tensed up. This was going to be weird to explain but you heaved a sigh and delved right in. Might as well get it over with now. Knowing that the two scientists would want every detail possible, you describe to them everything. The odd sensation of being pulled in three different directions, falling from the sky and landing in a snow drift (Alphys and Sans winced at that and you knew that they would be apologizing up and down the first chance they got.), meeting Sweet, making the waypoint with the little skeleton, the suspicion that their personalities are switched, and finally meeting Papyrus which led into where you were now.

They listened in enraptured silence. The only sounds was the scribble of Alphys’s pen across the clipboard as she wrote down everything you told them and Sans translating your signs for the two skeletons next to you. Once it began to wind down, you let out a tired sigh. “By the way, I don’t think Honey likes me.” You had told them that you had given this universe’s brothers nicknames which they enjoyed with a little amusement. Sweet loving the nickname right off the bat.

Sans’s eye lights dim a bit but he doesn’t translate that last sentence out loud. “why’s that?”

“He’s been doing the scary aura thing you do when you really don’t like someone. At one point, I was about to grab those capsules you gave me for the ‘don’t use unless in deadly danger’.” you shuddered at the remembrance and you hoped that you never found out what was in those capsules. For one, you only had a limited amount and two… they sounded really dangerous.

“really now? well, hang tight, kiddo. i’ll be over in a minute. just have to finish up the waypoint on our end. where are you right now?” Sans looks at Honey with empty eye sockets and you could feel the questioning hostility from the tall skeleton beside you. He knew you had said something about him but not what it was.

“At your old house in Snowdin but I would be careful on your way over. Now that the waypoint is set up, you may feel as though you are being pulled in 4 directions instead of 3. I think this is happening because the brother’s here are swapped. Papyrus acts like you and Sans acts like Papyrus. So in a way both have a semblance to your magic.” Alphys had picked up translating for you as Sans had walked out of frame to work on something on his end. “Since the machine, Sweet, and Honey are here at the house, you’ll have a 3 out of 4 chance of popping here but there is a small chance you’ll pop out in the forest outside of town.”

“gotcha. _snow_ worries, kid. i have a better handle on my magic than you do so i’ll be able to differentiate between the points.” Sans called off screen and you nodded your head in thought. It was his magic that had helped get you here. Of course he would have better know how about it.

You felt a slight tugging on your arm and you looked down at the small skeleton that had went quiet while you explained things to your friends. “HUMAN, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY OLD HOME?”

“yeah, i would like to know what you meant by that too.” You could hear the threatening aura laced into his Honey’s words. He didn’t seem happy that he didn’t understand what you had signed to Sans about him and would probably like to know what it was that put your best friend on edge. You weren’t about to tell him though. Knowing how protective Sans was, he’ll make it known pretty darn quickly the moment he arrives. Hopefully, you wouldn’t have to stop a skeleton fight. Though watching Sans fight was always a treat. 

“O-oh! D-do you know the m-multiverse theory?” Alphys perked up a bit at the question, knowing that she could help without you having to sign to explain. When Honey nodded his head and Sweet didn’t, she began to explain it. “The multiverse, or meta-verse as some c-call it, is the hypothetical set of possible universes, including the universe in which we live. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, m-matter, energy, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The various universes within the multiverse are called ‘parallel universes’, ‘other universes’ or ‘alternative universes’.” when she noticed that she had lost one of the skeletons on your end with her explanation she started to make it easier for the small guy. You only understood all of this because it kind of has been drilled into your head for the past few months. “Basically, there are an infinite number of universes and possiblities. All with a slight change to them. One could just have an added snowflake. Another could have less. It can be entirely minor or something big, like… how in our universe I was the royal scientist but in yours I’m not.”

“YOU ARE NOT THE ROYAL SCIENTIST HERE. YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!” Sweets declared proudly and you had to hold back a snicker. Alphys was the captain? She had been switched with Undyne? “I MUST ADMIT THAT IT IS RATHER ODD TO SEE YOU IN LAB EQUIPMENT INSTEAD OF ARMOR.”

Okay, you lost it when he said that. Silent giggles wracked your form while a flustered Alphys tried to get the conversation back on track. “ R-right! W-well, my p-point is made even more clear. In our u-universe, we aren’t trapped underground anymore. W-we are all living happily on the surface.” This got the two skeletons attention. If they hadn’t been paying attention before they definitely were now. “W-with that in mind, I-I know it’s probably been tempting to take (y/n)’s SOUL to break the barrier but I would advise against it.”

“...why?” Honey finally said something after a long silence. His eye sockets were trained on Alphys and she wiggled uncomfortably under his gaze.

“B-because! She isn’t from your universe. W-who knows the repercussions of her dying there could have on space and time? Also if that doesn’t convince you, her SOUL isn’t strong enough to break the barrier. You would lucky if it didn’t shatter the moment it left her body. I’m sure you have seen the cracks.” As Alphys spoke, her resolve got stronger along with her will. She stared right back at Honey defiantly.

The tall skeleton had taken his gaze off of her though and was looking back at you with a slight somber expression on his skull. “…is it that bad?” You shrugged at him while eyeing the floor. You were already working on getting it stronger but there wasn’t much you could do about it that you weren’t already doing.

“yes. so we would appreciate if you would stop giving her a bad time. don’t want you making her _heart skip a beat._ ” All 3 of you jumped in place and turned to find your Sans standing in the doorway to the kitchen. His lab coat was settling around his legs with his left eye lit up. The menacing tension was back.

“well then…’ Honey was momentarily lost for words but only momentarily. He recovered quickly and put on that relaxed demeanor that was on edge like he had before. “i don’t think anyone wants that. so i’ll try not to rattle her bones too much.” 

You dashed forward and wrapped your arms around your best friend happy to see that he made it into the new universe in one piece. That and also as an attempt to diffuse the situation. “hello there. i knew you have to speak with you hands but i wasn’t expecting you to be so _handsy_. should mettaton be worried?” 

Silently laughing, you attempted to tickle his ribs in retaliation, only for him to blip out of your reach a few feet away. “What? You said I was _handsy_ , I thought I _nail_ ed the impression.” You signed to him with Sans barking out a laugh at your pun. 

“WHAT DID THE BIG HUMAN SAY?” Sweet was watching the two of you curiously but with the way he was standing it looked like he really wanted to join in on the fun. So Sans relayed what you said and the little skeleton let out a cry of dismay. “NOOOOOOOOO! WHY MUST I BE SURROUNDED BY PUNISTS?! TRULY, THIS IS THE WORST FATE IN LIFE!” 

Oh the poor melodramatic skeleton… he reminded you so much of Papyrus that it hurt. You kind of wished that the two would meet at some point. “Okay… now that introductions are out of the way… shouldn’t we be fixing the machine so that we can go back?” You didn’t want to leave yet but at the same time you didn’t want to accidentally overstay your welcome. 

The tension was still there but it had ebbed due to your antics. Looks like you were going to have to play mediator until Honey and Sans decided to play nice. Hooray. Maybe Sweet would back you up in case of a fight. 


	75. HAPPY EASTER!

I didn't have the time to write a chapter but I still wanted to wish you all a HAPPY EASTER! So I made this.

HAPPY EASTER!


	76. Chapter 49

Clasping the love tuner and snowflake pendant that were draped in a single strand around your neck in your hand, you paced the small strip of backstage where you waited for your cue. Nervous anxiety was coming off you in waves and you were surprised that none of the stagehands or other technicians nearby were being affected by it. How could they not feel the same thing you were feeling? How could they be so calm and go about their jobs as if this was another day?

Okay, Okay! Enough of that! You mentally slapped yourself since one of your hands held the pendants and the other held the violin that Mettaton had gotten you in Germany. Your steps slowed to a stop while you took a few deep breaths to steady your nerves. There was still time before you had to go out. Plenty of time to get out of this stage fright kind of mindset. Sure you practiced on stage several times but the room was empty. This was different. You needed to think about something else but… it was hard… because…

This was it.

Tonight was the night.

Everything you had been working towards for the past couple of months was about to come to fruition. Whether it would be good or bad was now completely on your shoulders.

Glancing around one of the curtains that had your person hidden backstage, screams and cheers filled the arena sized auditorium as music pooled in from the massive speakers placed around the room. Every spot in the mosh pit and seats were filled to make this concert a full house. It was body to body out there. A completely different atmosphere compared to practicing to an empty room. Your body shuddered in dread and you shook your head frantically. Stop! Now was not the time to have a freak out. You’ve been practicing for months just for this concert. This was your dream! This was what you had always wanted. You weren’t going to be singing but you will be performing center stage as Mettaton’s equal. Everyone cheering for you both as your songs filled the speakers! Yet, why do your legs feel like they are made of cement? This feeling didn’t make sense!

“ _Bring out your SOUL and let me take a stand.  
I want to see it dance about,  
It will be beautiful! This I have no doubt._

_I’m more than just some metal parts.  
So don’t tell me I’m wrong  
Or I’ll make you Reset to start,  
By the end of this song!_”

The concert was in full swing as Mettaton strutted into view with elegant practiced ease. His sultry voice spilling from the speakers making the audience go even more wild than they already were. Not Just A Robot. The song that was going to be played right before the debut of your winning song followed up by the song you wrote after your heart scare. The one where you both were supposed to come out and play. It would only be a few more seconds before this song would taper off and the large TV screens around the stage would come to life with the music video for Lost Little Songbird.

There was time but now there was even less…

Taking a few more deep breaths, you decided to think about everything that had led up to this moment. Maybe a reminder of all your hard work would boost your confidence and quell the anxiety that was making your heart jump in place.

The impromptu date to the Japanese festival, that got you your fish babies, was the last day you really had any time for yourself. The next couple of months were a whirlwind of activity and you weren’t given much of a chance to do anything outside of work for a while. Everyday was dedicated to preparing for the upcoming performance. Dance practice became a daily thing, whether it was with Mettaton or BP. One of them was always with you and as the day of the concert loomed closer you practiced less in the little dance studio and more on the actual stage. It was exhilarating to finally be able to prance out on the stage as if you owned it. Even if it was just Mettaton, BP, and a few of the techies setting stuff up who witnessed it. 

When you weren’t at dance practice, you were doing absolutely anything you could to help set up. With a certain purple rabbit monster tailing your every move; you helped costume designers get measurements and make adjustments, relayed messages from one group of workers to another, got a hold of Mettaton when others really needed him but couldn’t (one time you may have given him the robot equivalent of a heart attack when one of the set designers had dropped a can of wet red paint all over you making you look like a murder victim.), and several other tasks you could barely remember off the top of your head.

You hardly had time to hang out like you used to and thankfully your friends understood and respected that. Sans and Papyrus would stop by sometimes at the studio and kidnap you to a restaurant so that you would eat something. Sans also texted frequently. Thanks to Mettaton, BP, and Hoppity, you were never really alone. Even though, you knew it was because of the threats against monsters that seem to have increased as the date of the concert got closer. It was still nice.

The music of the song Mettaton was singing faded out and the entire auditorium went dark. Bringing you out of your reminiscing and back to the present. Audience members ooed at the darkness as the TV’s blared on and the music video began to play. The haunting melody of a violin began to lilt out and a single spotlight struck the robot idol who was standing center stage with a microphone to his lips.

 

“ _Little Song bird  
Where have you gone?  
Is there anything wrong?_”

Mettaton’s voice matched the violin as the music began to slowly pick up into the next verse. The audience was dead silent. Stuck in a willing trance as they allowed the music to have it’s moment unmarred by their voices.

“ _My little song bird  
Please come back to me!  
I want to be everything you need._”

The music started to hit it’s proper rhythm and all the lights kicked on to the delighted cries of the audience members. Techno began to fuse with the orchestra so smoothly that it began to bring tears to your eyes.

This was it.

Your song. Completed. After months of collaboration and hard work, your song was now out to be heard by the public. You, finally, made it…

 

“ _I’m all alone  
Trapped underground, full of dark spaces  
But here I am now, in front of thousands of faces_

_Don’t Stop! I’ve gotta  
explore the surface.  
For my songbird and my own purpose._”

The robot monster danced across the stage in slow elegant movements that matched the pacing of the song. Unlike the other music numbers he had performed earlier, Mettaton was putting a lot more effort into his movements. When his head whipped to the side, he saw you watching him from the sidelines and gave you a playful wink. Continuing with the song without missing a beat even though a bright blush formed on your face.

“ _I’m center stage with my face shown..._  
But I can’t do this on my own.

_This place is far from underground_  
With the darkness and small spaces.  
Up on stage I’m crowned  
And I’ve been thousands of places. 

_Songbird, This is your choice.  
Please allow me to be your voice._”

Audience members began to cheer as Mettaton brought the song into its second phase by singing the second chorus.

“ _Darling, please come back  
Because you are all that I need.  
You can believe me,_

_My little song bird,  
To protect your fragile heart.  
My dear, I’m here!  
Even when it all goes dark!_”

Lights flash on the stage but not in a way that was to distracting away from Mettaton or the monitors that were playing the music video in time to the robot’s singing. Even though he was singing, it was like he was making minimal dance movements as well. As if to give all of the hard work you and everyone have done its proper spotlight instead of easily taking it all for himself.

“ _You and me, our souls_  
Are intertwined.  
Your fate has crossed over mine,  
As if built by a grand design!

_The underground is in my past_  
Now darling I need to find you fast.  
When your alone is when I fear,  
Because I need to have you here! 

_I need to see that fragile heart._  
Protecting it my new purpose,  
So don’t let us stay a part,  
You being gone is making me nervous. 

_I will do it for you._  
I will do it for the surface.  
Cuz it’s all true,  
You are both my new purpose. 

_Darling, please don’t be all alone.  
You mean more to me than you could ever have known._”

You watched him transfixed even though you knew the end of the song was coming up. The audience was dancing in their spots and a few were catcalling on occasion. Your hand tightened its hold on your violin while the other released your love tuner and pendant to have them fall back into place. Heading over to your spot, you held your head high as you watched the rest of the performance of your song, Not caring that you had tear tracks trailing down your cheeks. It was a good thing the makeup they put you in was water proof.

 

“ _Little Song bird_  
Where have you gone?  
Is there anything wrong?

_My little song bird_  
Please come back to me!  
I want to be everything you need. 

_Darling, please come back_  
Because you are all that I need.  
You can believe me, 

_My little song bird,_  
To protect your fragile heart.  
My dear, I’m here!  
Even when it all goes dark! 

_My little songbird.…_ ”

The song tapered off to the overwhelming applause of the audience. Mettaton does a small bow as the lights return to a normal brightness to reveal the entire stage and the TV’s faded to black. You drank in all of the attention for your song… for your hard work. Your heart and SOUL swelling with pride at the fact that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the music you had helped create. From now on… was this going to be a regular thing? If it was then you weren’t ever going to leave.

Mettaton straightened up on stage. Watching your reaction out of the corner of his one visible eye while he allowed the audience to carry on a lot longer than normal just for you. He flicks the microphone off so that the one that he was wearing on his head was the only one that was currently working as he brought his hands up to clap for you as well. It took all your will power to not break down into a sobbing bumbling mess right then and there.

“Thank you! Thank you, my darlings! But I can’t take all of the credit on this one.” the robot star stated as he turned his attention back to the massive crowd that had slowly gone silent as his words made their way out of the speakers. “As you all know, I held a song contest to commemorate my one year debut on the surface and that, my beauties, was the collaboration of the winning song written by none other than, (y/n)! I want you to give her a big round of applause!” Without any hesitation, the crowd responds to his words. Their combined cheers and thumping making the entire auditorium shake under the volume. The vibrations were so strong you could feel it all the way in your spot backstage. “Now… speaking of the little Songbird, she wanted to do something special for you all and who am I to say no to that? I hope you enjoy this next song because this one has taken a lot of time to put together.”

The lights dimmed as Mettaton made his way into his position and you readied your violin on your shoulder. This was it. All of your hard work was about to be a total hit or a complete flop. It was now or never. The background music began to play and you took your cue. With practiced movements, you waltzed out on stage. The calming steady thrum of the violin’s vibrations steadying your nerves as you played the beginning of the song.

“ _When I go  
Outside  
will it be  
The end of me?_

_Will I die?  
Will I be fine?  
Or will you be  
The last thing I see?_”

Mettaton’s voice matched the pace of the slow beginning perfectly as he moved on the opposite side of the stage towards you. Once again, the audience has gone quiet so that they could listen without any kind of noise interruption. It was wonderful but at the same time terrifying. Did they hate it so far? Did they like it?

“ _Forever, locked in my house  
To afraid to even go out.  
I forgot who I was  
As the world continued about._

_Now I want to be out there  
With you  
This odd feeling in my chest  
Is something I never knew._”

You both met at the center and flitted around each other as if you couldn’t actually touch the other. Not that you could with both of your hands occupied with a violin. Your heart swells with more pride as you hit the moves and notes perfectly without making a single mistake. Your feet moving as if they had a mind of their own. Even the audience was starting to get into the song because there were small scattered cheers as the song picked up from its slow gait.

“ _I don’t want to go  
Please stay here with me  
As long as my fragile heart allows me to be.  
It’s cracked and imperfect  
But it can’t control my being anymore.  
I will live my life  
Even if the rhythm ceases in my core._”

Everything was going just as Mettaton had planned out all those months ago. A big grin was plastered on your face as you allowed your body to get into the music. The motions livening up your movements a bit more. Making them seem less forced and more personal. You caught your boyfriend’s eye and he had just enough time to send a playful wink your way that had you blushing as you made your way away from him towards the edge of the stage.

" _You found me  
Now don’t let me go.  
If you do it might…  
Be the end of the show._”

WHAM WHAM WHAM!

The distinct sound of several heavy things striking the ground behind you had you almost pausing in your movements to see what was going on. Deciding to improv a small bit, you twirled around so that you strutted backwards to see just what was going on. Only to have to scramble back in a much less elegant manner as a large heavy sandbag landed in the spot you had been standing just moments before. There was a small line of them all following your journey back to center stage.

You paled. There was no reason for these things to be suddenly falling on stage like this. Ever since the accident that had spurred on one of your most deadliest attacks, Mettaton had taken it upon himself to make sure to triple check everything that was up on the cat walks to make sure they were secure. Stage lights, sandbags, whatever else, they were checked to ensure there was no chance in them falling and possibly hurting someone else again. So why were they falling..?

“With the way things are going… everything will be coming to a head soon. Very soon. I fear that the upcoming concert may be a target for whatever those groups are planning.”

Asgore’s words had you twirling around to check on Mettaton only to find that he was in a similar situation. A trial of sandbags followed the robot’s wake as he continued the song though he was treating this part as an instrumental to focus on dodging the continued onslaught of sandbags just like you. Though somehow you were still managing to not miss a note on the violin. All of that practice was really paying off in one of them most unorthodox ways.

But there was no denying what was going on. It was happening. 

You were under attack.

“ _You helped me when  
I was to scared to try.  
You held me up when  
All I wanted to do was cry._”

Mettaton continued to sing as you both made improved movements on the stage but even with your nonchalant exteriors the energy that the audience had before changed into a kind of worried confusion.

You shared a look with Mettaton and he seemed to reach the same conclusion that you were. This place was packed. You could see shadowed figures up on the catwalk but they were so far away you couldn’t make out their faces. It was only a matter of time before the audience realized that this wasn’t part of the show and if that happened things would only escalate from there. People could panic and when people panic… a lot of them could get hurt. There was only one thing that the two of you could do right now and that was distract and act like nothing was wrong.

Security lined the entire place. It was only a matter of time until the ones responsible were caught so you had to last until the end of the song. As fear spiked in your being you kept up your movements. You could last until then.

“ _Come, take my hand  
And come on stage with me.  
This stage is no longer just my own.  
It’s for us both, don’t you see?_”

Suddenly, the entire auditorium was descended into darkness as you flitted away from Mettaton a little ways down stage. You kept moving despite the darkness, though there was no need to dance since no one could see it. There was no way you were going to catch a stray sandbag on the head because you stopped moving in the dark. The catwalks were lit up occasionally by colored lights. Sometimes blue, sometimes orange. There wasn’t much you could really do about it though so you chose to worry about what was going on in front of you.

Though since you were blinded, you kept playing the violin as you made your way back over to Mettaton. It would be safer closer to him since his eyes can see in any type of situation. One of the many benefits of having a robot body. Then there was a sound that made you blood run cold.

It was a bang. Followed by a series of other bangs that made your ears ring at just how loud they were since they were close by. You frantically looked around in the darkness as your mind tried to put together where exactly you had heard those sounds before. Why were they familiar-

Gunshots.

Those had been gunshots.

Not feeling any pain, you knew that you hadn’t been hit but there was only one other person on the stage at the same time as you. Mettaton. You could hear the confused cries from the crowd but you honestly didn’t give a damn about them right now. It’s not like they could really hear the shots over the background music anyway. You were running over towards your boyfriend’s last known position on stage as quickly as your trembling legs would allow. The violin clattering loudly as you dropped it.

Slowly, your eyes adjusted to the new lack of lighting. You could see the robot star slumped over making you want to scream out to him. The song was long forgotten and the music was playing without the violin but you could hear a voice yelling just above it.

“You just couldn’t stop. Could you? I gave you multiple nice chances to pack it all up and go but NO! Instead, you RUINED MY CAREER!”

The voice had you stopping several feet away from Mettaton. Your body was screaming at you to run away as the very person that has been haunting you came into view. Koppel.

The poor excuse for a man held a pistol pointed right at Mettaton’s head. Smoke billowing from the barrel due to the recent firing. He was glaring at the weakened monster until his eyes glanced up and he caught sight of you. His angry snarl morphed into a menacing smirk. “I was someone once.” the man stated simply as his gaze never wavered from your frozen form. “My columns meant something to people. I was important and wanted. But now… I can’t even get a job delivering a local newspaper. You ruined my credibility. You RUINED my life. And for what?” He scoffed as he used his free hand to gesture to you then to Mettaton. “The novelty of a monster that will probably fade? Not only that it’s only a matter of time before they are all thrown back under the mountain or turned into a scientist’s guinea pigs. Then what will have all of this ‘pro-monster’ shit had been for? Absolutely nothing!”

You flinched at the sheer amount of venom he put into his words as Koppel turned his attention back to Mettaton. “You took everything from me. Now I’ll take everything from you.” The pistol that he held raised to point directly at your heart. “Let’s see if she survives this _heart attack._ ”

His finger slowly began to pull the trigger but Mettaton was up as quick as a flash. He kicked the hand that held the gun hard and the deadly weapon was launched high into the air. Koppel let out a cry of pain but it was cut off when he received a pink boot to the gut that sent him sprawling backwards several feet. Catching the gun as it descended, the robot emptied the clip and released the bullet in the barrel before twisting the weapon into nothing but gnarled metal.Without giving the human a break, Mettaton advanced and grabbed Koppel by the neck. Hoisting the man into the air as if he were a piece of paper.

“I will never let you hurt her again.” With more strength than he needed, the robot threw Koppel backstage hard and all you could hear was the distinct sound of a crash as he hit whatever it was back there. 

Mettaton stared at the spot he had thrown the human hard until a few minutes passed with your new song’s background music playing on a loop. Then he visibly relaxed and made his way back over to you. Whatever happened backstage was good enough that he would leave Koppel where he was. “Well, sweetheart, I’d say that will be the last we see of him. Looks like Asgore was right after all…”

The fear that held your body prisoner began to dissipate when he put his hand on your shoulder. But now that he was close you could see just how hurt he was. His entire chassis was riddled with bullet holes and in some spots sparks flew out from the damaged electrical parts. His smile was strained and you could see that the LED of his lights were getting dimmer by the second.

He was hurt. Mettaton was hurt very badly. Your hands flitted over him. You wanted to touch him. To hold him. To demand if he was okay but your mind was in overdrive. You didn’t know where you could actually do that without making something worse or possibly electrocuting yourself. He chuckled softly as he caught both of your hands in one of his own while the other wiped away the tears that were running nonstop at this point. “It’s okay. I’ll be alright. Everything damaged is completely replaceable. Were you hurt?” Shaking your head, the rest of the tension in his body left completely as a static like noise came out from the headset that he was wearing.

“Mettaton, Songbird, are you two alright? The lights will be back on in just a moment. All people involved have been caught as far as we know. Would you like us to start escorting people out of the building?” the voice on the other end was BP and you could hear the worry through the static.

Pushing a button on his headset, Mettaton rubbed comforting circled on the palm of your hand with his thumb. “We’re both fine. I’ll need you to tell Alphys to be ready for an all-nighter though.”

“Why?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” As he spoke, the robot led you over to your discarded violin and picked it up so that you could take it and the bow from him. Needing to give your hands something to do, you immediately began tuning it and checking to see if it had been damaged from the fall. “As for escorting everyone out… I know people are probably wondering what is going on but I think we played it up enough for everyone to think that this was part of the show. I don’t want to cause a panic and have anyone get hurt.”

“What do you plan on doing then? Are you able to even finish the rest of the concert?”

“Probably not…” Mettaton muttered to himself and you watched him closely. The lights in his eyes were at half of what they normally were. “But I can finish this song and close it out like that. Do you think you can continue, Songbird? I can understand completely if-” You shook your head violently. Adrenaline was still kicking in and your body was wired. You needed to do something. You needed to move. If you could help keep everyone calm by finishing out the song then you could do it. 

“That’s my girl.” the robot idol whispered and leaned down as if to kiss you but stopped. Thinking better of it he gave you an apologetic smile. “I owe you one for later.”

“You owe me a hell of a lot more than that!” you signed to him after putting the bow in your armpit so you could do so. Your emotions were a complete jumbled mess right now so you were choosing to shove them down for now. This was to surreal. Had this really just happened?

Mettaton chuckled. “Okay, I’ll be in your debt. But for now we need to get back into position. BP have Blooky bring the song back to where we left off and bring the lights back once we are in position. Have the lighting crew make it flashy. As if this was entirely on purpose. Like we were dragging it out.”

“On it. Lights will be up in 5.”

As if in a trance, you made your way back to your previous position and shouldered your violin while facing the robot. He gives you a reassuring smile but you couldn’t really give him one in return. This entire situation was insane. He could have died. YOU could have died. 

However, you weren’t allowed to dwell on those thoughts long as the entire auditorium was lit up in a beautiful display of colors. The background music had made its way back to where you had stopped and you began playing where you left off with Mettaton picking up the vocals again.

“ _So let us get up  
And amaze the crowd!  
I will persevere!  
I will make you proud!_”

The confused chatter of the crowd erupted into cheers as everything came together in a dazzling display. You danced as you played with renewed vigor. As if this was the last dance you could ever do.

“ _I don’t want to go  
Please stay here with me  
As long as my fragile heart allows me to be.  
It’s cracked and imperfect  
But it can’t control my being anymore.  
I will live my life  
Even if the rhythm ceases in my core._”

Mettaton made his way towards center stage at the same time you did. The both of you taking care to dodge the sandbags that were scattered on the floor. You almost tripped once but Mettaton made it look like it was on purpose as he caught you and dipped you as you both stood center stage to the cheers of the crowd. His voice carrying the last lyrics with a much heavier meaning.

“ _I am no longer afraid_  
Even if I begin to fade.  
This life is now mine.  
As long as I am with you, I will be fine.”


	77. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy smokes. The main story has officially reached 50 chapters. Just woooooow o.o

“My child… maybe you should sit down for a bit?”

“yeah, bud. you’re makin my head spin with all those circles and i’m pretty sure even skeleton skulls aren’t supposed to do that.” 

Sit down? Why they hell should you be sitting down? They should be standing up doing something! There was so much to work on and get accounted for. How can they just sit there like that after everything that has happened?! A monster hate group almost murdered Mettaton and several others! How can they all be so calm right now?! 

Silently growling to yourself, you ignored Sans, despite his attempt at humor to calm you down, and continued your pacing gait in the long hallway that leads off to the laboratory rooms in Alphys’s house. You two weren’t the only ones in this long hallway. Toriel and Frisk were curled up on the couch a little ways away with Sans sprawled out on the floor. All three of them were watching you with worried expressions.

Everyone looked tired. Yourself included. It had been a long night for everyone but you were still riding the adrenaline high that you got when Koppel had pointed his gun right at your heart. The wonderful chemical was the only thing keeping you from outright passing out where you stood. But you couldn’t let yourself give in to sleep. Not yet. A furry hand was placed on your exposed shoulder due to the costume you still wore. “Please, young one… You can not keep going like this. You’ll break down or something worse may happen. Come sit with-”

“YOOOOOOO, PUNKS!” The soft voice of Toriel was cut off as the front doors to Alphys’s home/lab were kicked in by a really strong but tired fish woman. She strutted in before collapsing onto the free spot on the couch with a long aggravated sigh. Asgore, BP, Papyrus, and Napstablook made their way in after her and settled about the living room as best as they could.

Your pacing stopped as you eyed the new additions to your small group. You side stepped around Toriel and headed towards your friends. Stopping a couple feet short from the coffee table. “So…? How did it go? What happened???” You clicked your tongue to get their attention before signing at a rapid fire pace. Somehow Asgore was able to keep up though. After you had been escorted offstage, you had been taken directly to Alphys’s house. Everyone else had gone off to deal with the aftermath of the attack. Leaving you in the dark as to what happened and what was going on.

“As well as it could go, I suppose.” His deep voice was a few octaves lower than normal due to the stress and lack of sleep.

“Somehow, we managed to catch all of the culprits in the attack thanks to the on the spot planning of Papyrus, Sans, Asgore, and myself. People weren’t happy buuuut we managed to get every audience member out of the building safely without a riot or hate member hurting anyone. So I would say that’s a plus.” BP had taken up the desk chair looking much more ragged than he normally did. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced and his shoulders were slumped from exhaustion. “I still can’t believe that bastard got by us…”

“You have no idea… That PISSES ME OFF!” Undyne punched the coffee table hard and it somehow still remained intact. Once again, you had to pause and marvel at Alphys’s skills. Though unconsciously, you flinched and it didn’t go unnoticed by two certain skeleton monsters. Within seconds, you were being lifted up into Papyrus’s arms as the smaller skeleton sent a glare the fish monster’s way.

“UNDYNE, PLEASE CALM DOWN. YOU ARE SCARING OUR ALREADY FRAZZLED HUMAN FRIEND.” You squirmed in the tall skeleton’s arms, desperate to be put down. You needed to move. You needed to do something. Anything! You couldn’t be useless. You didn’t need to be babied right now. Mettaton was being worked on, there was a police statement that you had to give and a report that needed to be filed! Those jerks needed to be dealt with at the fullest extent of the law! No one should be allowed to just try and casually murder a bunch of people they don’t agree with. “WELL, AT LEAST WE WON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT REPORTER HUMAN. HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH, AT MINIMUM, TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND WITH UNDYNE’S FRIENDS ON THE FORCE THERE IS NO WAY HE WILL BE ESCAPING AGAIN.”

As reassuring as that was, you still needed to do something. Not be trapped in a skeleton monster’s arms. Yet, Papyrus held you in an iron grip. The bones not budging at all during your futile attempts to get down. This was bad. Ever since Koppel had been thrown off stage, you have been pushing back everything to appear calm and collected. On stage you had fiddled with your violin and had ended out the show. You also had Mettaton there with you the entire time. His body was in seriously poor shape (To the point he was afraid to touch you lest you be accidentally electrocuted.) but he was there. Yet, the moment the song ended and the curtain was drawn… Mettaton collapsed.

This wasn’t a powered down collapsed where his body goes rigid and the poor monster just falls over. No… his body gave out. A whirlwind of volatile emotions threatened to consume you right then and there. Fear. Anger. Fear. Love. Fear. Overwhelming sadness. The only thing that was able to pull you away from the unconscious robot was Sans’s levitation magic. For a moment, you may have felt true hate for your best friend. You hadn’t wanted to leave the robot’s side. Alphys had Sans help her get Mettaton into a lab and you had been left outside with Toriel and Frisk for the longest time before the stout skeleton came back out to join you. From then on, they’ve been desperately trying to get you to relax. With Sans ‘s eye lights taking the occasional peek at your SOUL.

You didn’t care.

You just wanted to be near Mettaton. You needed to know if he was all right.

Tears started to make tracks down your cheeks as your body was forced to calm down because Papyrus refused to release you for some reason. Exhaustion weighed your limbs down as if they were made of lead. Everything rearing its head at the same time. All of the pushed back negative emotions swept through your body making you tremble as you were completely overwhelmed.

Mettaton almost died. Scratch that he COULD be dying. You haven’t heard any news from Alphys since Sans was kicked out of the room so she could work in peace. That had been hours ago now. He could be dying and it was all because you didn’t put your foot down more with Koppel. If you had stood up to him more… if you had spoken to your friends about him sooner… Things may not have escalated like they have. Not only that but Mettaton expended a lot of energy that he didn’t have after being shot to protect you. Energy that could have been vital to his survival.

There was so much hate directed towards the robot idol from Koppel… If it had been any other monster, you were sure that they more than likely wouldn’t be standing. Instead, all you would have found is a pile of dust. Oh god, what if Mettaton had died when the curtains closed? He was a ghost monster thus the robot was his body but it wouldn’t have turned to dust if he died. The body itself wasn’t made of magic. Mettaton’s SOUL was. 

That was it wasn’t it?

Mettaton had died closing out the show with you and everyone were stalling to tell you about it.

A crushing despair overtook every other emotion forcing your body to shake harder at the power of the choking sobs you were emitting. A numbness was starting to follow but you didn’t care. You should have just taken the bullet on stage. Even though it would have been high risk, there would have been a better chance of you surviving the hit because your physical body wouldn’t have been affected by the intent of your attacker.

“uuuhhh…. bud? whatever it is that you are thinkin’ please stop.” The deep voice of Sans cut into your thoughts but it sounded as though he was very far away. Even though he was right next to you gripping your arm tight enough to cause a bruise. “seriously, pal, you are starting to scare me.”

“BROTHER! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HER REACTION! SHE JUST GOT OUT OF A SCARY SITUATION! CRYING IS NATURAL. THOUGH IT IS NORMALLY LOUDER. WE ALL KNOW IT’S BECAUSE SHE IS MUTE!” Papyrus started rubbing soothing circles into your back that you barely registered while he chastised the smaller skeleton.

“no, pap. that’s uh… not what’s scaring me.” Without warning you felt the telltale tug of someone trying to pull your SOUL out and on instinct you resisted. “c’mon, kid. it’s just me. y’know i won’t hurt ya.” There was a second attempt though it was harder. Still you resisted. Grabbing your knees, you curled in on yourself in Papyrus’s arms as dark spots were sprouting into your vision from the combination of emotions and exhaustion. “dammit! i’m sorry about this…” Suddenly, your SOUL was ripped from your being so forcefully that a shock wave of pain echoed across your body bringing with it a slight emotional distance now that the core of your being wasn’t within your shell. You clutched onto Papyrus’s arms like a lifeline with your face a pained grimace until the awful feeling faded away.

“SANS! Was that really necessar- oh my!” The harsh motherly words of Toriel were cut off as she got a good look at the purple SOUL presented in front of her.

There was a growl coming from the direction of the couch but you were only eyeing your SOUL with tunnel-like vision. “HEY! You can’t just bring someone’s SOUL out like that!”

“just as i thought… she’s losing a lot of her maximum hope…” Sans ignored the even more pissed off fish woman as he held your SOUL under his critical eye. “whatever she is thinking right now is drastically effecting her outlook on life. at this rate, we’ll be lucky if she lives past a week with this continuous drop. considering how fragile her SOUL is already.”

This had everyone in the room up and surrounding your prone form. You didn’t really pay them any mind. You just kept eyeing your exposed SOUL. The cracks in it haven’t changed. In fact, they actually looked even better since the last time you saw it. However, that wasn’t the problem. The once vibrant purple was now very very dim. To the point, that it was almost gray.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey there, lil bud! Everything will be okay!” Orange paws stroked your hair gently as BP spoke. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours but don’t worry!”

“He is right, young one.” Asgore stood behind Papyrus and spoke while leaning over the skeleton’s head. “Everything is alright!”

“Please don’t keep it all bottled up. Talk to us, my child. Let us help you.” Giant furry paws took your other hand and stroked it reassuringly while small hands latched onto one of your feet since it was the only thing the human child could reach.

“Yeah, punk! Everyone is fine! All the bad guys were caught and no one was hurt. Where is this all coming from?” With all of the other monsters crowded around it was hard to pick Undyne out from behind you. When did she get behind you?

Everyone started speaking at once. They spoke calmly, reassuringly. Trying to figure out what was causing you to lose hope. Desperately trying to reach your mind as their words spilled off into the void without you even registering what the words mean. It was fruitless. Your SOUL continued to dim and as it did their fears increased. It wasn’t until you felt someone place something on your head that covered your ears did you return out of your mind a small bit. Looking up, you saw that Napstablook had placed his signature headphones on your head and that there was a soft tune playing. A song with words that you immediately recognized.

“ _Cracked heart, mute voice. Sweetheart, look into my eyes.  
Head up, you’re all, that is on my mind.  
Her eyes were somber and filled with disbelief.  
I stand there watching as she perceived me._”

Mettaton’s soft voice lilted in from the speakers sparking a new round of tears. You frantically grabbed hold of the headphones and ripped them off. It took all your willpower to not throw them off somewhere. That was the song that the robot star had written just for you and had sung to you in the bowling alley. It was not something you wanted to hear right now. Not when…

“(y/n)”

The barely above whisper voice had you looking over at Napstablook as he hummed to himself thoughtfully. Everyone else had gone silent and were instead watching the interaction between the two of you. “…Mettaton is okay.” Your eyebrows scrunched together at his words but before you could even think to give the ghost a rebuttal he continued. “My cousin… is a lot stronger than people give him credit for… I know what you saw was bad… But he will be fine… do not hurt yourself while thinking of him. He wouldn’t like that one bit…….”

You blinked at the shy ghost monster’s words. He wasn’t wrong. Mettaton would be royally pissed off if you hurt yourself over him. But… were you hurting yourself? Were you the one causing your SOUL to dim like that? Was it because of your mindset? “thank god!”

Sans deep voice had you looking over at him as the skeleton let out a sigh of relief. “naps, i don’t know what you did but you stabilized her.”

“Oh…. It was rather easy to figure out… you all kept saying everyone is okay and that everything was fine but… there was one person who was grievously hurt.” Napstablook hovered away a bit as he looked to the ground. “She witnessed him get attacked… of course she would freak out about the bad outcomes…”

A loud clinking sound was heard as Sans face palmed himself. “geez… i’m such a numbskull… hey, pal. listen to me. mettaton did come here in pretty bad shape but nothing life threatening… to him at least. the bullets weren’t anywhere near the tank that holds his SOUL and he did take some damage. yes, he is corporeal but his body still doesn’t work 100% like a normal monster body. but i promise you, he’ll be fine.”

Your eyes narrowed at your best friend as he returned your SOUL back within you. The wave of emotions making you tremble for a moment before you calmed down. “So… he isn’t dead?” Your hand movements were slow but you got your words across.

“heh. no. he isn’t dead-”

“On the contrary, darling. I am dead… Drop dead _GORGEOUS!_ ”

Everyone turned their attention to the hallway. Standing there was none other than the robot idol himself. His body was a little worse for wear. The pink chest plate filled with bullet holes had been replaced with a silver one that matched his arms. It looked nice but you could tell that the repairs were done in a hurry. His hair was a mess yet at least he wasn’t sparking dangerously like he had been before. But to you, none of the changes mattered. He was safe. He was alive.

With a renewed strength you didn’t know you had, you pried yourself out of Papyrus’s arms and launched yourself into Mettaton’s. “What’s going on-OH My!” the force of your body had him backpedaling a small bit before he regained his balance. “Sweetheart? Darling?” He lifted you up after taking a couple of attempts to work your arms off of his waist. Your arms moving to latch themselves around his upper shoulders while your face buried into the crook of his neck as he held you effortlessly.

It wasn’t an illusion. He was perfectly alright.

“OOooooh… Songbird, I’m awfully sorry for scaring you like that. You’ve probably been completely distraught after witnessing everything firsthand.” Mettaton’s voice was soft as he spoke into your ear while his free hand worked its way through your hair in a soothing manner. “Speaking of witnessing… what happened to-”

“They are all caught and accounted for. No one was hurt save for you and it makes me very happy to see that nothing irreversible was done.” Asgore stated. You could feel the relief emanating off of everyone. “I would say that this is cause for celebration.”

“Actually… I wouldn’t consider this as a reason to celebrate. We have something much better to celebrate about that isn’t because of a life or death situation.” Mettaton tutted the king as if he was reprimanding a child and it would have been funny if you weren’t to busy refusing to let go of the robot monster. Not that he was trying to get you off or anything in the first place.

“A-and what w-would that be?” Alphys made her way out of the hallway and into the living room with the others. She looked just as spent as everyone else.

Mettaton tapped the top of your head lightly so that you would look up at him. “Why Songbird’s first official stage debut, of course! We may have had some… issues… but this still was her first time on stage in front of a packed house. Now that is cause for celebration.”

The tension in the air from all the build of events that night seemed to disappear at the robot idol’s words. There were nods of agreement and even congratulations and praises from all of your friends. However, you were to emotionally drained to really take anything they said to heart. It was too soon.

“true that. and i know just the way to celebrate too.” Sans chuckled, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Oh? And in what way is that?” Mettaton quirked his only visible eyebrow at the stout skeleton curiously.

“sleepin’.” At that, Sans fell forward to face plant into the floor and he was out like a light. Everyone seemed to chuckle in amused agreement even hearing a “HERE, HERE!” from Undyne before the fish monster passed out on the couch. The next hour or so was spent with Mettaton, Toriel, and yourself gathering up pillows and blankets to tuck everyone else in. Not long after, Toriel joins Frisk on the floor and it is just you and Mettaton left awake. You were just barely hanging on at this point. 

“C’mon, you little clinging koala. It’s time you go to bed too.” Mettaton said as he picked you up off your tired feet. You shook your head weakly as he carried you down the hall and into the room that Alphys had been using to work on him prior. There was a plush examination table that he sat you on before tucking you under a blanket. “Nope. I won’t hear it. You look dead on your feet, sweetheart. I’m only active because Alphys had to put in a new battery in order to see if everything was working. One of the bullets damaged my old one.”

You stuck your tongue at him and wormed your arms free of the blanket. There was some things that needed to be discussed and now that you two were alone… it was the perfect time. “Mettaton. Asgore was right. He knew that this would be a catalyst for the anti-monster groups. Sure, we managed to catch them all this time but that doesn’t mean that others won’t rise up to take their place.”

Reading your hands, the robot heaved a heavy sigh. Moving to rest his head in his hands with his elbows next to your side. “I know. I was praying that his assumptions about the anti-monster groups would be wrong but… he was our king. Politics and war kind of go hand in hand with that title. I’m glad you helped me see reason and set up the security for the show. This could have ended so much worse.”

“That’s an understatement.” You signed to him with a playful scoff but it turned into a long yawn. “Just wait until the media finds out about what happened.”

Mettaton shuddered. “Oh, I have no doubt they kind of already have. I’ll have to ask BP about it once he’s up. I’m really not looking forward to the next couple of months. This court case is going to be a huge deal and even if we try there will be a huge media circus behind it. I would be more than happy to discuss it on my own show but as you know… people will say that I’m biased and other stations will make their own assumptions. I’ll have to get a hold of the other stations somehow.”

Other stations? The other news stations? “You mean like the morning show Norman is on?” An idea was sprouting in your mind as a grin made its way on your face. With everything that has been going on, you had forgotten to tell Mettaton about your encounter with the other morning talk show host and how he had tried to sneak into the studio without a valid pass. “What if you go on his show and give him an interview?”

“That… would be wonderful. His show is entirely run by humans so they couldn’t say I was manipulating the questions into my favor… but I would have to contact him without being denied out right.” the gears were turning in the robot’s head but you were pulling him back to reality with a few decisive clicks of your tongue.

“Actually, he got a hold of us first. BP should have all of his contact information still from when I talked to him. All we have to do is set up a date.” your smile was vibrant even though you were tired. Something you did in the past was going to help! Now you were really glad that you hadn’t let Hoppity have his way with the man.

“Since when did you meet Norman? Let alone get his contact information?”

“When BP was out a few days with the flu and I took over his job with Hoppity as my translator.” you signed with a shrug.

The robot’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “When was BP sick??” Oh yeah… that was a thing you were supposed to tell him… whoops. You gave him a sheepish look before attempting to hide in the blanket you were under. That’s what you get for not keeping reminders around. “Seriously, when was he sick?!” You let out an exaggerated yawn and rolled over so that your back was to Mettaton. The cat was out of the bag now. You could fill him in on all the details later. “Fine, gorgeous, get some rest. But you are telling me everything once you are up. If you need me, I’ll be in the chair nearby.”

With those words, the examination room was descended into darkness when Mettaton hit the lights. You allowed your eyelids to drift closed as you fell into a thankfully dreamless sleep.


	78. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is a troll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I have some good news and bad news!
> 
> Good news: I GOT A NEW FULL TIME JOB! GOODBYE ALL MY PART TIME ONES!
> 
> Bad News: There is going to be an adjustment period and I don't know when I'll be able to write or not. Let alone post. I will still try to update weekly but don't be surprised if I miss one in the next few weeks.

Death is such a strange concept. Some people are afraid of it until they are entirely at death’s door and then they seem to make peace as to what is happening to them before going to the mysterious place that we will all find out for ourselves someday. Then there are other people who have been prepared for death their entire lives but, when it seems that its about to happen, they struggle to give in. They defy their fate and sometimes they win. Other times they don’t. For some reason, you were in the latter group. As of recently.

All your life you had been waiting patiently at death’s door for when he would finally open it and take you away from this mortal plane. You knew it was only a matter of time. So you had willingly accepted your fate when it occurred but did everything in your power to prevent it from happening in the first place. Pushing everyone away, locking yourself in your house, keeping to yourself… those were all preparations to keep you safe and prepare the world for when you wouldn’t be there anymore. And you had done it willingly. Sure, the process was gradual but you had put yourself in that situation.

Fast forward to the concert and that too, was a situation that you had willingly put yourself in. You knew of the possible dangers but chose to perform anyway. When you had heard gunshots on stage, your first instinct wasn’t to run away or stand still. It was to run towards the sound. You wanted to defy fate. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t run to see if Mettaton was okay. If you hadn’t ended up accidentally being a distraction so that the gun was pointed at you instead of the ghost monster, which in turn, gave Mettaton a chance to take Koppel out once and for all. There was so many things that could have ended horribly but they didn’t because you chose to act instead of hide. Yet, your thought process wasn’t originally this way.

It wasn’t until a pair of skeleton monsters and a robot superstar did your perspective begin to change. Sure, it was nice to stay in by yourself every now and again but now you wanted to be out in the world. You wanted to be with your friends. You wanted to be there for them and experience all that life has to offer by their sides.

But the thing you were having trouble wrapping your head around was the fact that you willingly headed towards danger and worse yet… you could have died. If you hadn’t died there was a chance that you would have watched Mettaton die. Somehow you had ended up with the best case scenario but the probability of that happening were drastically slim. What if Koppel had succeeded in firing the gun? What if you hadn’t ran over to check on Mettaton? What if you somehow didn’t avoid those sandbags falling from the catwalk above the stag- “And that is enough of that train of thought.”

A soft maternal voice cut into your inner musings as you felt something furry gently flick your forehead in a playful manner. You blinked up from your head’s laying position on the massive wooden top that was Toriel’s desk. “Welcome back, young one. I hope watching me grade papers wasn’t too boring.” 

You shook your head while looking around the room as the goat monster organized a large stack of papers. That’s right, you were supposed to be helping Toriel catch up on a bunch of things for her school. Not let your mind wander off into dark thoughts. Then again, the mind wandering has been happening a lot more lately than normal. This happened for a bit after your big heart scare too. Maybe it was just a near death situation kind of thing? Soft fingers were snapping in front of your face to get your attention again and you gave Toriel a bashful smile. “Sorry, sorry!” You signed out. Glancing at the papers you were supposed to be grading before noticing a certain someone was missing. “Where did Mettaton go off too?”

Toriel looked through the blinds that peered into the hallway with a chuckle. “His battery was getting low so he had to find an outlet to hook up too. He’s right outside since the only outlet that is in here is keeping the computer on. We’re supposed to give him a heads up to come back in here before the bell rings. Don’t want the poor guy to be overtaken by children in the halls.” You nodded your head and held back the small sigh of relief that you wanted to exhale.

Originally, Alphys had only repaired Mettaton’s body enough so that he could function for a small bit and that his life wasn’t in danger. A lot of the stuff that was considered “extra” had been turned off so that the only things he could do was walk and talk. The reason for this was because a lot of the parts that make up the ghost monster’s body were custom-made by her so that it could channel the magic properly. Turns out there wasn’t a lot of human alternatives. So because of this, his body was still in disrepair and it forced him to take time off from work. Kind of hard to work 18+ hours a day when your temporary battery only lasted for two before it needed charging again. Meaning for the time being, BP was the one who was entirely in charge of the studio and had to practically run it by himself.

Your goal on getting the poor cat monster a vacation just tripled in priority.

“So, young one. What seems to be on your mind that has you drifting off so much?” Toriel finished with what she was doing and turned her full attention on to you. Her motherly aura was in full effect. There was no way that you were going to distract her away from the topic when she was like that.

With a sigh, you pushed the papers towards her and rose your hands to speak. “I’m just… pondering what happened a few days ago.”

“I’m assuming you are talking about the scare at the concert?”

You nodded your head and continued. “It’s just… A lot of bad things could have happened. Mettaton could have died. I could have died. Not to mention a possible riot that could have hurt countless people. All of the ‘what if’ scenarios have been running around in my head and I’ve been having trouble grasping that it happened and that it’ll finally be over. At least with Koppel.”

“Mmmm that is a common occurrence after someone has been faced with a near death situation. If this hadn’t of happened would it be like this instead? Things of that nature, correct?” She continued on when you nodded again. “It is a rather terrifying thing to be put in a situation like that. Even worse when you are put in one with a loved one because not only are you worried for yourself but the person you care about. The stress can be immense on the mind. I think that when you start pondering the ‘what ifs’, as you termed them, it’s your SOUL’s way of trying to cope with what happened and process it by taking the situation apart. There are several bad possible outcomes but we must remember that we ended up with the best we possibly could have gotten. Never forget that.”

“That… makes sense. Though I think it’s also a way for the mind to catalog different scenarios in case it happens again.” You twiddled your thumbs idly when you finished signing. Even though you hadn’t really wanted to talk about this, you were glad that you were. After it happened, the attack at the concert kind of came a taboo subject with all of your monster friends and unless it needed to be talked about it wasn’t. Everyone just wanted to put it behind them and move forward with their lives… with a small bit more caution than they had previously.

“True. It is amazing the adaptability the mind has when put in high risk situations. Though if we have our way, that incident will not ever have a chance to be repeated. Now I must ask… how are you feeling?” Toriel stood up from her desk and headed over to a little table that sat in the corner of her office with a small tea set on it. As she came back from pouring you both a cup of tea, Toriel’s eyes lit up and steam started to form from the liquid.

Fire magic was so cool. It had to be really convenient.

You pondered her question. How were you feeling? A little shaken up, a bit scared, but most of all anger. Anger that this happened in the first place. So you relayed this information to the motherly goat monster and she gave you a small smile. “That’s about what I expected. Now how do you feel physically?”

You blinked in confusion at her. “Physically?”

“Yes, physically. Your body and all that.” Toriel eyes you with a gentle smile as she took a sip of her tea.

“Well, I’m fine now. At the time, I was tired, tense, and exhausted by the end of it but I think everyone was at that point.” You followed her example and took a drink of your own tea. “Alphys did a check up the next day since we were right there at her house just in case.”

“That was very considerate of her. It makes me happy to see how everyone looks after each other in our small knit group but we are getting slightly off topic.” Toriel set her cup down and leaned forward onto her desk towards you. “I must say… that I am very proud in how you acted on stage. Noted I do not like that you went towards danger but you did it out of concern and love for another. Even if you could have been seriously hurt or worse in the process. You have gotten much stronger since we first met.”

Stronger? Running towards danger could be viewed as a sign of strength but most would view it as stupidity. However, you liked how she phrased it and you were going to stick with that. “Um, thank you? I’m not sure how the physical analysis falls into play in that.”

Toriel arched an eyebrow at you slightly amused and curious. “You don’t?”

You shook your head.

“You haven’t figured it out why I’m so proud and happy for you?”

Another shake.

“It’s simple, my child. Even though you were in a highly stressful situation, your heart didn’t have an attack.” You blinked several times until her words finally sunk in and your mouth slowly dropped open in surprise.

She was right.

You had sandbags falling from the sky at you. Your heart rate didn’t increase save from the adrenaline. You found Mettaton injured on the floor. Your heart rate only rose in surprise and anger. Koppel had pointed a gun to your chest. Your heart rate had remained more or less the same. There was no way. There just wasn’t any way that could be possibly right! But it was.

The goat monster chuckled warmly at the shocked expression on your face. “When I first met you, the slightest loud noise could have sent you into an attack given the right time and place. Sans told me how you two first met. Papyrus nearly sent you into a fit on accident. Now you can dodge projectiles coming at you and face a man with a gun without having one. I must say that is an immense improvement. Your heart is getting stronger.”

That’s putting it lightly. In all of the hubbub of making sure Mettaton was alright and dealing with the anti-monster attackers, you never even noticed that you were completely fine physically. Noted, you still had to go into the police station to give your official statement and you may have had a few nightmares that you wished you could forget. All in all, you were okay though. You were fine. Your heart was getting stronger. The treatments were working.

The treatments were working.

Did Sans and Alphys even notice this? Within seconds you had your phone out, creating a group text chat that included the two monsters and yourself.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Guys. I know you are both busy but I have good news for you.**

**Sans 1:30pm  
I’d love to hear some good news right now.**

**Alphys 1:30pm  
Same here. It’s been nothing but chaos here at the university.**

To be honest, you weren’t surprised. At least half of the campus had been at Mettaton’s show when it had to be canceled early and everyone safely escorted out of the building. Since she was the one who built Mettaton’s body… it was no surprise that students put it together that she may know what had happened that night. Hopefully, Undyne would be there to keep them off the shy monster’s back for a bit. With your fingers flying across the keyboard to Toriel’s amused chuckling, you told them what you just found out.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Your SOUL surgery and shake are working.**

**Alphys 1:32pm  
Of course it did! You would have… anyway, I know the surgery worked but I’m not so sure about the shake… It’s still to early to tell. All readings have been about the same.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Alphys. It really is working.**

**Sans 1:33pm  
That’s one way to _shake_ up my day.**

**Alphys 1:33pm  
Sans there is really no need for you to type AND say puns out loud when I’m right next to you.**

**Sans 1:34pm  
Puns are classics and beautiful in both forms. Sorry if I _shook_ you up with it.**

**Alphys 1:34pm  
Sans no.**

**Sans 1:34pm  
Sans yes.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Guys**

**Alphys 1:35pm  
Why are you voicing your texts now too?!**

**Sans 1:35pm  
Calm down, Alph. No need to get _vocal_ about it.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Guys?**

**Alphys 1:35pm  
Oh my Asgore. Sans PLEASE!**

**Sans 1:35pm  
C’mon, let’s _talk_ this out.**

**Alphys 1:36pm  
AAAGH!**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
GUYS!**

**Alphys 1:36pm  
Yes?**

**Sans 1:36pm  
Careful, kid. You blew my ears off with your yelling.**

**Alphys 1:36pm  
YOU DON’T HAVE EARS!**

**Sans: 1:37pm  
Exactly. They got blown off.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Are you two seriously having a text argument when you both are right next to each other?**

**Alphys 1:37pm  
It’s also verbal.**

**Sans 1:37pm  
I wouldn’t call it an argument… more like a communication dispute.**

**Alphys 1:38pm  
So an argument?**

**Sans 1:38pm  
Exactly.**

**Alphys 1:38pm  
Ooooooh my goooooodd**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
You two are dorks.**

**Sans 1:39pm  
Hey, hey. I prefer nerd thank you very much. We have a candy named after us.**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
That’s a pretty _sweet_ point. But guys listen. I didn’t have an attack!**

**Alphys 1:39pm  
I should hope not!**

**Sans 1:39pm  
Should we be worried about how you worded that?**

**XXX-XXX-XXXX  
Nononono! Guys! I didn’t have an attack on stage! Despite almost dying to sandbags and a gun pointed at me. I DIDN’T HAVE AN ATTACK! My heart remained normal!**

There was a long pause where nothing was said until Sans finally replied.

**Sans 1:50pm  
Where are you right now?**

**XXX-XXX-XXX  
In Toriel’s office at her school helping her catch up on somethings. Why? **

“ARE YOU SAYING WHAT I THINK YOU ARE SAYING!?” A loud familiar nasally voice came from behind you just as you were talked into a hug by a yellow dinosaur monster that sent you both to the floor. Teleportation is also a pretty handy ability to have. Especially when you can have another person come with. Your silent chuckles at Alphys’s antics reverberated through your body as you gave her a definitive nod. “ITS WORKING! OUR THEORY IS WORKING SANS!” You were glomped into another warm hug until boney arms came down to help free you from the royal scientist’s clutches.

“no, foolin?”

You nodded your head again. “I didn’t notice it at first either. It was Toriel who figured it out.” You signed to the monsters once you wiggled your arms free. There was a sound of a bell in the background but you didn’t pay it any mind. Everyone was laughing in joy and smiling. It was the happiest you’ve seen your friends for a while.

“you would be the one to notice when everyone else didn’t.” Sans stated while gently nudging Toriel’s arm.

“Of course. Nothing can escape my motherly eye.” She stated with a giggle. Giving you all a wink.

“Um… Songbird? Toriel?” Mettaton’s voice was muffled from the glass as he lightly tapped on the window from the hallway.

“Welcome back to the world of the living, my child. Is there something wrong?” The goat monster’s voice chimed in for the both of you as you brightened at hearing Mettaton speak after being powered down for so long. Whenever his battery was low it would show in his voice. It never acted right.

Freeing yourself from Alphys, you went over to the blinds and pulled them up as your boyfriend spoke. “Yes… could I get a little help?”

With the blinds out of the way, you could see Mettaton standing in the hallway. Well, more like kneeling. The poor robot star had about 6 children hanging off of his body giggling like crazy with a seventh trying to clamber up his side. That wasn’t including the small group surrounding him blocking the hallway entirely.

Sans and Alphys were snickering behind you and you couldn’t help a couple silent giggles yourself. “Awww, but they just wanna _hang_ out with you.” You signed out before gesturing to the children hanging off his shoulders.

“Ha. Ha. Now do you think you could help me, sweetheart? I would love to play with these little darlings but I don’t feel like having to plug myself back in after sitting out here for an hour recharging already. It’s all energy that I don’t have.” Mettaton had to reach back and catch the kid that had begun to slide down his back before they fell and hurt themself as he spoke.

Chuckling, Toriel stood back up and gestured for everyone to follow her out of her office. “Alright children. Mettaton isn’t a jungle gym. C’mon, off!” She made a shooing motion and the kids carefully released the robot idol. “Now I know you are all excited to meet Mettaton but I’m sure he’ll be here again once we arrange a meeting. Now off to class with you all! You’re blocking the hallway.” All of the children grumbled good naturely but listened to Toriel and went about their business. Albeit slowly.

Once they were gone, you dashed up and jumped to hang off his shoulders yourself until his arms came up to hold you. “Gorgeous? Where is all of this energy coming from? Mind sharing some of it with me?” With him holding you up, your hands were free to speak for you again. Flashing him a bright grin, you pecked him on the nose.

“I have some fantastic news for you.”


	79. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that training is done at work I'll have my regular work schedule. so please put up with this erratic schedule for the next couple of weeks. sorry x.x

The revolving doors to the small building seemed to be constantly spinning due to the never ending stream of people coming and going. Officers walking in with apprehended criminals, civilians filing missing persons reports or possibly something more sinister, people caught the night before being released on bail, and more kept the doors going at a consistent slow spin. Somehow, I managed to spot a couple monsters but the vast majority of people here were human. I will admit. It is kind of cool to see Dogamy and Dogaressa in uniform. The journey to get them on the force had been a long and hard fought battle. They deserved every honor that had been emblazoned on their outfits. Now that I knew where they worked, I should be able to give them an extra hand if needed…

I leaned back in my rather uncomfortable chair and continued to survey the room making adjustments to my black leather coat without really thinking about it. Even with all of the police officers in the building, one can never be to careful. To ensure that I wouldn’t be a hindrance, I had dressed down compared to my normally flashy and glamorous appearance. There is a time and place for that and this isn’t the time nor the place. A quick in and out. That’s all I wanted this visit to be. Even though I have a good reason to be here, no celebrity wants to be spotted walking out of a “cop shop”, as lots of humans like to say. It’s a story that can easily be taken the wrong way and sensationalized which is something that I would rather avoid at the moment.

Never can be to careful with the paparazzi.

“Holy shit! What’s a glitzed up monster like you doing in a police precinct?” A human man, that absolutely wreaked of alcohol, dragged one of his greasy stubby fingers down my upper right arm, just under the rolled up sleeve, to my elbow. His finger leaving a distinct smudge trail, that could be probably seen across the room if someone looked, on the once shiny metal.

I used a lot more willpower than I would like to admit so that I didn’t cringe at the man sitting next to me. “Oh, just waiting on someone. That’s all.” Absently, I scanned the bustling room again while my neon pink heel tapped impatiently on the tile floor. Even though monsters worked here the set up of the front lobby wasn’t very well established. This was just unprofessional. Yes, I wasn’t expecting to get any special treatment today when I came into the precinct to give my statement with Songbird… but to have them sit me next to a guy who was more than likely being processed by one of the many busy officers was just wrong. That should be a breach of conduct or something. Having it so that civilians had to sit next to potential criminals. Monster or not. 

It didn’t matter that this was a smaller precinct and they appeared to be overworked as is. There should be a clear divide in the room somewhere. This is just making me feel even better about the fact that I came in early to give my statement. That way Songbird wouldn’t have to wait out here next to possible rapists, murderers, thieves, or whatever else. Not that I would have allowed that in the first place but that’s besides the point.

My one visible eye twitched as the human repeated the motion on my arm with the finger again. The gross feeling making me wonder if I should turn off that arm’s nerve endings temporarily. Yes, I didn’t like being touched by him but I have a pretty decent experience with drunk humans. It was easier to let them get their curiosity out of their system as soon as possible and then they would either pass out or bother someone else.

In most cases. 

There are always exceptions.

“So shiny… is thish real hair? Y’know, I-I think I recognize you from shomwhere…” Oh lovely… he wasn’t going to leave me alone anytime soon if he remembers. The human’s finger had gotten bored with my arm and was now in my perfectly styled black locks. His light tugs weren’t painful, as they were just curious in nature, but that didn’t excuse the fact that he had to practically lean on me entirely just to reach. It was amazing how enough brown liquid can lower the inhibitions of a human to the point that they are almost curious children again. Just big, more than likely stupid, adult children that felt as though they could do absolutely anything. Especially not care for one’s personal space. I never understood why humans did this to themselves. Monster alcohol has a much more… happy side effect and it was certainly less dangerous. Why drink something that would slowly poison you as you drank more? “OH YEAH! You’re Mechaton! From the TV show!”

I quickly clapped a hand to my mouth to snuff out the undignified snort that came out of my lips. “I’m… I’m sorry. What was that?” He had my full attention now as I gave him an amused smirk that was thankfully hidden by my hand.

Well this was certainly an interesting turn around. Drunk humans are often unpredictable but you could figure out pretty quickly which ones were harmless and which ones were not. This guy certainly was in the former category from the way he carried himself. Well… attempted to carry himself. He was using me more for support at this point than his own equilibrium. One of his arms hung off his side as if it was completely useless. The way it was angled, it looked like it would be rather uncomfortable in that position… was he hurt? The man moved and the arm hit the chair’s arm rest with a bang that had me flinching.

However instead of hearing a hissing of pain as I expected him too, he continued on completely unaffected. “Mechaton! You… you have all those shows… and purrty voice.” The human man was more than happy to drone on. “Yeah! You, you had that conshert a lil’ over a week ago. Daughter… came back home from my parents… a huuuugge fan. Really… wanted to go.” While nodding my head idly to his words, I subtly extended my left arm under his notice until it was almost right on his still one. Gingerly, my fingers lifted his and my suspicions were immediately confirmed. This ‘arm’ was fake and not a very good one either. It was just a solid mold to make it look like he had an arm. It couldn’t actually move or grab things. “A lot of people were mad when we were told to leave. But I know… I know why.. it was ended early..”

My hand quickly retracted back to it’s normal length as my gaze snapped back to him at his sudden words of clarity. The once goofy look of curiosity that filled his face had been replaced with one that was somber… almost haunted. His one good hand was gripping my forearm tightly as though he was attempting to ground himself from something horrible. What did he mean that he knew why it had ended early? The only people who knew were my staff and those who had been involved with the attack. From the report that I had received from BP and Undyne, it had sounded like they had apprehended everyone that night. They had been very thorough in their search. Had they somehow missed one? With the sheer amount of people, it was certainly possible.

“You… do…?” I kept my voice and expression neutral. If he really was in with the anti-monster group then I needed more information to get him put away. It was just convenient that Alphys had installed a voice recorder within my body so that I can give on the fly interviews. Even better since we happen to be in a place full of cops.

The man shook his head. “Yeah… I do.” His gaze was distant as though he wasn’t 100% in the moment and was in a place far off. “To celebrate Nat getting home I managed to get two tickets in the mosh pit. That way my lil’ girl could get front row seats of the performance. When the sandbags started to fall I thought that it was odd but… I’m not as young as I used to be. If that was supposed to happen in the show then who am I to judge? People around me were also kind of confused but it was played off as though it was on purpose so no one really thought to much about it. But… when the lights went off. That’s when I heard it.”

“...heard what?” Oh, please don’t say what I think you are about to say. It’s bad enough so many of my staff know what happened but for an actual audience member to have figured it out... At this point, I turned off the recorder and deleted the file. He wasn’t one of the people who had tried to hurt innocents. He had just wanted a fun night out with his daughter. Which I felt a tad bit guilty about in ending so suddenly. Even if it had been for a good reason.

“Gun shots. Four of them. One went off as a lone shot but three others followed about 20 seconds after.” My eyes widened at his words. This man was accurate. Scarily accurate. Before I could ask he continued on. “Now… most people don’t know what a real gun shot sounds like. Sure there are action movies, games, and the like… but nothing can truly reproduce the real thing. It’s loud, sudden, and makes your ears ring. From where we were it came off as a distant bang. Which to everyone else could have been anything.”

“Then how do you know what it sounds like?” My tone wasn’t accusatory. It was honest. I genuinely wanted to know how this man could tell the difference if his words were true.

Slowly, the man turned his head and I got a good look at his full facial features. There was heavy scarring that looked as though something tore through his face that was on the same side that had his fake arm. He gestured to the scarring as if it wasn’t anything special but just wanted to point it out. “It’s one thing to watch it in a game or movie. It’s another to experience it first hand.”

“How did you..” The moment I started saying the words I wanted to take them back. This human had no obligation to tell me how he got those scars and it wasn’t my place to ask. But before I could begin to feel shameful about it he spoke up.

“Sergeant Vince Brooks. I was deployed in Iraq but was forced into an honorary discharge after my unit was hit with an IED when we were searching a building during a firefight. Shrapnel ripped up my face and my arm was so mangled there was no way of saving it. Since I was the first one in, I got the brunt force of it all so my comrades didn’t get hit as hard. No one was killed, fortunately.” Vince leaned back into his own chair and looked up at the ceiling. “You can never forget the sound of something like that. Never.”

Looking down, I eyed the ground while I processed all of this new information. He was right. Even now, I could still hear the gun shots ringing out from the pistol and sometimes I could still see them ripping through the metal that made up my body as though it was butter. It felt so real… as if I was back in that moment even though it had long ago passed. Blinking I shook my head to get myself out of that mindset. It was one thing to get stuck there at home or in my office. It was another to do it in public for all to see.

When I spared to glance at Vince he had a knowing look in his eyes but didn’t ask for further details. “Different situations. Different places. Outcome… pretty much the same.”

I nodded my head to his words. If it wasn’t for the fact that most of my body was replaceable, there was a big chance that I would either be dead or in a similar situation as he was. I glanced back at his arm then back to his face which now held a solemn sobriety to it. “So… darling, who made you arm? It looks very realistic.” Until you noticed that It was stuck in the same position and couldn’t move. In this moment, I felt a camaraderie that I only felt with a few short people. Songbird, Napstablook, and Alphys just mentally naming a few of the very select group. I wanted to get to know him more. Same with his daughter. I also felt that I could really help him.

Alphys has been trying to get into making robotic limbs for humans but several laws have been set in place making it near impossible for her unless she had willing volunteers. She already made completely usable arms, legs, and the like for monsters who are without now that she has the unlimited resources of the surface instead of the scraps from the garbage dump. Her knowledge of monster and human anatomy was pretty amazing. With some help, she could easily expand the research of robotics to new levels if she was allowed but she needed more concrete proof to back it up. If it could get Vince an working arm and Alphys the results she needed then why not ask?

“Yeah, it looks real. But it isn’t. The damn thing is more of a nuisance than anything. It’s bulky, heavy, and worthless. The only thing it helps with is keep the people from staring at where an arm should be. Actually… when I first got it, Natalie snuck into my room one day and made it more ‘me’ as she put it.” Vince’s annoyed look morphed into fondness as he rolled up the sleeve on his fake arm to reveal several drawings that served as tattoos. He chuckled a bit as his fingers trailed the faded markings that had to be due to age, rubbing against cloth, and his own hand. “At first, I was royally pissed off. Even though it’s useless, it wasn’t cheap. Now I wouldn’t give it up unless I got a real arm.”

“She’s quite the little artist.” I stood up and moved to sit on his other side so that I can get a look at the drawings better. Most were just childish scribbles but you could feel the love and care that was meant in them. This child really loved her father.

“You got any kids?”

I shook my head. “No… not yet anyway. I do have a little artist of my own that I just so happen to adore.”

“The girl you performed with on stage?”

“How did-”

Before I could finish the question, Vince’s loud booming cackle at my surprised expression cut me off. “For those who know what to look for… we can tell. You’ve fallen hard.”

That I have but I wasn’t about to admit that out loud to a recently drunk man in the middle of a police precinct. “So what are you in here for?” My voice was casual while he burst into another fit of laughter at my attempt at a diversion. There was a distinct tint of pink on my cheeks. He seemed to take mercy on me and let it slide though.

“Got drunk with some buddies while bar hoppin’. Bouncer wasn’t so happy with us and threw us out. Got arrested for being drunk in public. Ended up with an overnight stay in the jail here when I tried to explain to the officers that I wanted to be drunk in a bar and the jackass of a bouncer THREW me out into public.” He air quoted every time he said ‘public’ and it brought a smile to my face each time.

“Were you charged with anything?” I leaned back from inspecting the drawings and relaxed in my new chair.

Vince shook his head. “Nah. Just had to spend the night til I sobered up. I’m waiting on an officer to complete my paperwork so that I can walk home.”

My smile fell at his words. He may be ex-military and this is a small precinct but there was no way that I was going to allow this man to walk home when he wasn’t exactly 100%. “Actually, I have a better idea in mind. If you are willing to hear it.”

“Sure.” the human man shrugged when he turned his attention away from me and I felt a series of light taps on my shoulder.

Following his gaze, my eyes fell on my current favorite human. Her face was filled with exhaustion and there was a rim of red puffiness around her eyes that could only mean that she had been crying. Why they wouldn’t let me in the same room with her while she gave her statement was beyond me. It’s not like it would have changed anything she would have said. From her posture and pleading look, I could tell that she wanted nothing more than to go home and be done with the day. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Vince, I would be in her exact same mindset. 

“Sweetheart? Are you alright?” I stood up and wiped away the tears that had made tracks on her face. She nodded her head then went to type something into her phone only to stop and realize who she was attempting to talk too.

“I’m fine. So. I see you are out here making new friends?” Her hands were graceful with the sign language movements and I always loved to watch the way she signed. It was a kind of elegance you could only get from years of practice and it just added to how wonderful she was.

“That I have, beautiful.” I gave her a playful wink in hopes of cheering her up a small bit. Being in that room with those officers had to be tolling on her nerves. “Songbird, this is Vince.” I stepped to the side so that she could meet my new human companion who just nodded his head in greeting. Yet, it looked as though he didn’t understand sign language if the brief look of confusion said anything.

Giving the man a small smile, she gave him a shy wave before. Bringing her phone back out, she typed him a response so that I wouldn’t have to interpret ans so Vince could be included in the conversation. “It is very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” He didn’t say much more at that as an officer came up and called his name. “Looks like, I’ll finally be free to go home.”

“Speaking of that… would you mind terribly if I asked that we could give you a ride home? I’m sure your daughter would be happy to see her father home safe sooner. Also, Songbird, would you mind having a brief detour?” She shook her head as Vince stopped walking after the officer then turned on his heel to look back at us.

Unconsciously, I stood a little straighter. Have I overstepped my boundaries? It’s not that I was taking pity on him but I actually have come to care for the guy. I wanted to make sure he got home. If not that, then at least as an apology for making the concert short. I could hang out with Natalie for a few minutes to make her feel better too. I can’t do things for all of the people who were there but if I could help one then I would.

Vince eyed my face for a good minute as if he was looking for something in particular. When he didn’t find it, his posture relaxed and he gave me a bright grin. “Sure. I’d like that. Natalie isn’t going to believe this.”


	80. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try and keep up the weekly updates on Mondays. Now that I'm starting my 2nd week on night shift I think I'm gettign the hang of my new sleeping schedule. So basically I'm going to start updating on early mornings on Mondays instead of sometime in the afternoon. I'm literally going to get home from work and post it if I have it done. Thank you all for being patient!

Moonlight drifted in from the open window. Illuminating the living room that you were currently sharing with three other people. Even now as you stared up at the light brown ceiling, your mind was still trying to comprehend how you ended up having a sleep over at a stranger’s house.

The day started out with that awful trip to the police station to give your statement. You didn’t even have to wait because Mettaton had gone in early to give his, so he was already there. What you didn’t expect was the officers wouldn’t allow him to stay in the room while you told your version of events. They didn’t let him stay even when he offered to be your translator. Since the robot monster was in the middle of it all, they didn’t want him possibly changing what you were trying to relay to them. Noted, you were to but you hadn’t been the primary target.You knew that he wouldn’t do that but it didn’t deter the officers one bit.

Once Mettaton had been escorted to the lobby, they enlisted the help of one of their monster coworkers who was more than happy to translate for you. She had introduced herself as Dogaressa and it did put you at a small amount of ease with having her there. Her presence was calming. It also helped that when you were struggling over a specific part she would let you pet her on the head. Not a lot of officer’s can double as a therapist at the same time. You figured that she was popular when it came to victims of horrible events. There was nothing like petting a dog to calm the nerves. Since she was a monster she didn’t trigger anyone’s allergies. Bonus!

Regardless, the retell was exhausting. Emotionally and physically. When you had finally been released all you wanted to do was go home, curl up in bed, and pretend to not exist for awhile. Maybe even get some rest because sleep has been almost nonexistent since the concert. Some nights are dreamless but others are full of nightmares involving what ifs. Then on the nights you managed to sleep, often times Mettaton was the one with the nightmares and you would try to help him through them.

Waking up a metal robot was a lot harder than one would think. Even if he did have the equivalent of nerve endings. That was until you found out that his text receiving feature always woke him up. From then on those nights have been significantly easier.

Instead of seeing Mettaton tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for you to come out (He knew it would take time but this isn’t exactly the best waiting room. He wasn’t the only one that was uncomfortable here.), you walked out to find him chatting animatedly with a rather rugged human. This wasn’t as though he was indulging a fan with a chat while he waited. Mettaton loved his fans but he had his tells when he was annoyed, bothered, or he really didn’t want to chat with a person but felt obligated to do so. It happens with everyone but for him it could go south fast if he just blew off a fan without a very good reason. In this situation, it could be even worse because he was in a police station.

The rumors that could create was unfathomable.

However, that wasn’t the case here. Mettaton was truly invested in the conversation. One of his tells was that instead of trying to keep a small amount of space between someone and himself, he was relaxed and willingly in the other person’s space. As long as he had consent to do so. He was also leaned in to give that person his undivided attention. It was probably the reason that he hadn’t noticed your presence in the lobby yet. The officers who had escorted you out had already gone back to their desks to process the information you had given them. Even Dogaressa was at her desk answering a phone call.

So you stood in the entrance way to a long hallway that led to temporary cells and interrogation rooms watching the conversation unfold with a small tired smile. You thought that after being attacked by a human that he would have trouble in a place like this. Police stations have a certain stigma against them. It’s the place you are supposed to feel completely safe in while at the same time houses potential horrible criminals. There are lots of people to protect you but at the same time every civilian that walks through the door could be a potential threat.

Seeing Mettaton talk to someone he didn’t know so animatedly here, despite what happened, was endearing to witness. You decided to wait a few moments so that they could enjoy their chat a little bit longer. Your bed at home was calling you but you could give Mettaton this. He needed a positive human interaction after what happened. It might even help alleviate his nightmares a bit. Who knows? When it comes to things like that, the smallest action or act can break the cycle. Maybe this would break his. Yours… were a tad bit more complicated. You weren’t sure how you were going to be able to break your own nightmare cycle.

After you felt that you had given them enough time, you walked up and got Mettaton’s attention. From then on it was a whirlwind of activity that led you to where you were now. Mettaton introduced you to Vince. He asked you if you wouldn’t mind stopping to drop the new human off at his house instead having the poor guy walk. Which you immediately let the robot star know that you didn’t mind. Then you chatted a bit on the ride over, you learned they had been at the concert, Vince figured out who you were and wouldn’t stop teasing Mettaton…

Once you arrived at his house, the door was opened by a girl a few years younger than you. Which is surprising because you thought that she would be significantly younger due to the drawings on Vince’s fake arm. Turns out that they were just old. He had been in the beginnings of the war which had started years ago. At first, she had been in tears and was about to chew her father out until she noticed the company that he held. You swore that your ears were still ringing from the high pitched scream that Natalie had given off at seeing you both.

The next few hours were a blur as she dragged you all into the small house. Which was cute and homey. It showed the tastes of both Vince and Natalie in the decor. They really were a close father/daughter duo. You all talked late into the night. So late that Natalie refused to let two “stars” leave for fear of something happening. They didn’t live in the worst neighborhood in the city but you never know who was out and about at night. Thankfully, Mettaton had insisted on the same car that he had used to drive to Ebott so that you wouldn’t attract as much attention.

A limo parked in a driveway is kind of a dead giveaway that something was going on in that house. It didn’t help that humans at their core are curious in nature. Eventually, someone would come snooping and find out who was hanging out at Vince’s place. Not that Mettaton and yourself didn’t have any right to be there, it could be problematic down the line is all. Just as humans were curious they were also very nosy.

While Natalie went about making the living room as spectacular a bedroom as she could (You both had denied taking her or Vince’s beds. It was their home and it’s not like Mettaton had to have a comfy bed to sleep on. All he had to do was turn his nerve endings off and he could sleep on a pit of spikes if he wanted.), Papyrus had texted you to ask where you were and why you weren’t home. After a brief period of explaining you were staying the night at a new friend’s and trying to tell him that he couldn’t come over (These new people took Mettaton well but you weren’t sure how they would take Papyrus. He wasn’t intimidating but that was after you had to look past the fact that he was the walking symbol of death in human culture.), the skeleton all but kicked in the door while announcing his presence in his characteristically loud voice, “HELLO, HUMAN, METTATON, AND NEW HUMANS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE COME TO JOIN IN ON THIS SPONTANEOUS PARTY OF SLUMBER!”

About a half hour of explaining to Vince and Natalie later, Papyrus was sitting on the floor at the coffee table with the rest of you playing a rather intense game of go fish until Vince went to lay down because his “old body” was acting up. Which you took as either he was beginning to feel the effects of phantom limb syndrome from the loss of his arm or a faint pain from the other war wounds he had received. Things quieted down out of respect after that and soon Natalie followed leaving Mettaton, Papyrus, and yourself to figure out who would sleep where.

Which brings your long tale to an end and explains why you were laying wide awake on the couch with Mettaton sitting on the floor by your head plugged into the wall and Papyrus out cold by your feet also on the floor. You had insisted that he take the couch since it was the only piece of furniture that could fit the tall skeleton but he wouldn’t have it. The younger skeleton brother could compete with Mettaton in the “being a gentleman” department.

Despite the unexpected guest, Natalie and Vince had taken the monsters in stride. They opened their arms and their homes to them. Even when one was being accidentally rude by inviting himself over. Papyrus was normally pretty good about knowing human social situations and the like. But sometimes he does forget or doesn’t know something then ends up coming off as accidentally rude or pushy when he wants to do something. All you have to do is explain what was going on and he would immediately apologize for his behavior. Then use all his energy and try to make everything right again. Like he had tried today. 

You still didn’t know how he was able to find out where you were. It wasn’t like you knew nor texted Vince and Natalie’s address to him. The only thing you did was keep texting him until he was at their door. So somehow he had been able to track you with your texts alone. You knew that either Sans or Alphys had something to do with it but you didn’t have any way of proving that. However, you did know that Papyrus hadn’t driven over because he was texting. The skeleton monster had walked the entire way. Where did his boundless energy even come from?!

Turning on your side, you allowed your eyes to lazily take in the room that you were in. Sleep on the farthest reaches of your mind. It really was a nice room. The decor wasn’t professional, it didn’t feel fancy. Everything was nice and taken care of. You could bet your paycheck that almost everything in this room held a story to it and because of that everything held it’s own personal value. Everything here was irreplaceable.

As your eyes resumed their journey, while stopping at each object, photo, and curio to appreciate it before moving on, they eventually fell on the robot monster who was sitting by your head. His black locked one using the arm of the couch as a headrest. They roamed his slumbering face until they reached where his one visible eye was. Only to find that instead of closed it was open. The two of you stared wordlessly at each other. Both caught in the act of being awake when you should be sleeping but neither wanting to make a move to break the silence. 

The only thing that could be heard was Papyrus’s gentle snoring. Peaceful and deep as he cruised in his convertible on the highway of his dreams. You continued to stare at each other until you decided to playfully stick your tongue at your monster boyfriend. Earning yourself a snicker that was abruptly cut off by his hand so that he didn’t accidentally wake up the tall skeleton. “What did I say about sticking your tongue at me?” Your eyes took on a challenging glint as your lips lifted into a smirk. Your gaze never broke away from his as you waited for him to take up your challenge or not.

It turns into a staring contest that you somehow manage to win when Mettaton looks away to clap a hand over his mouth to silence the laughter that he started to emit. You arch an eyebrow at him curiously as to why he started laughing. When he caught sight of that, his shoulders shook even harder. “Sorry, sorry… it’s just that expression on your face… It was so serious and with your tongue out like that!” The smirk returned to your face and you waggled your eyebrows at him in a playful challenge. “So that is how you are going to play? Fine then. Challenge accepted.”

He leaned forward and as fast as you could, you withdrew your tongue so that his teeth missed. The gentle bite going to your bottom lip instead. You silently chuckled in victory at the brief surprised look on his face before he shrugged and nibbled your bottom lip with an contented hum. “This works too.” His suave voice chimed out from the speaker on his chest while he gave you a wink. You silently giggled in response and nuzzled your nose with his when a loud intake of breath was heard causing you both to pull away while looking towards your feet at the floor.

Papyrus was sitting up from his laying position on the floor with a red gloved hand rubbing his chin in thought. “WHAT IS- it that Undyne usually says in this situation…” Even though he managed to drop his voice several decibels for a whispering-like manner, it was still very loud. You hoped that he wouldn’t accidentally wake up Vince or Natalie. They seemed pretty tired after everything that has happened today. Suddenly, the tall skeleton lights up and snaps his fingers as he remembered. “OH! That’s right! Get a room!”

The innocent and happy way Papyrus said it had you rolling on the couch in silent laughter. Undyne would normally have said it in a much more sassy and teasing way that would turn the people receiving those words into a blushing mess. Papyrus could probably master the tone but in this instance he said it with such genuine naivety that you could do nothing but laugh. You weren’t alone either. Mettaton was in stitches on the floor and it was taking great restraint so that he didn’t get tangled up in his charging cord.

“What? Did I say it wrong?” Papyrus’s eye sockets bounced between the two of you with very apparent confusion. Oh, the adorable innocent skeleton. He was an adult and he did grasp adult-like concepts (Don’t try bringing that up with Sans though.). It was just… the poor guy was incredibly dense. If it wasn’t for that, he could easily keep up with everyone else.

As you came down from your laughter high, you shook your head to put the now slightly anxious skeleton at ease. “We are already in a room.” You signed to Papyrus trying to keep a semi-straight face. But it was true. You all were in a room.

“Hmmmm… this is accurate. Very well then, carry on! Don’t stay up to late canoodling!” At that, Papyrus fell back to the floor with a light thud and rolled over. The tall skeleton back in dreamland in a couple of seconds. You fell into another bout of laughter that had you almost rolling off the couch until Mettaton rose an arm to prevent it.

Out of respect for Papyrus, you both tried to keep the noise from your laughter to a minimum. Not wanting to wake the skeleton monster up again. It took longer than you cared to admit to calm down. The silence that been destroyed returned. Even though it wasn’t your house or the house of someone you know that well, it was comfortable. Welcoming. You didn’t feel unwanted or as though you weren’t invited. It was unexpected but you couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the day after what you had to go through earlier.

It was a moment of peace that you desperately needed for the storm that you knew was coming. There will be an investigation, then a court date, and, of course, you would have to attend. If not to be in the audience, then as a witness to the events that had happened. After all, you were center stage when all of this went down. Very few witnessed Koppel deliberately trying to kill Mettaton and then yourself. In the meantime, you would have to team up with everyone else to try and keep everyone in the immediate area unbiased while at the same time keeping the media informed enough that they didn’t get the wrong idea.

You were going to have to walk on a tightrope with all of your friends so that you could master the balancing act that is the legal system and the media. The good thing was that you weren’t alone. Everyone had your back and you had theirs. If everything goes well, then hate crimes would be the least of those anti-monster people’s worries. Knowing about all of that made this brief moment of contented peace all the more precious.

“Mettaton?” You clicked your tongue to get the robot’s attention before you signed. He hummed in acknowledgment and you continued. “Things are going to get incredibly complicated soon, aren’t they?”

There was a pause as Mettaton mulled over your words. “That it is, sweetheart. That it is.”


	81. Underswap Special 4

Skipping happily through the snow, you munched on one of the pastries from your paper bag of goodies that you had just purchased from Muffet’s bakery. The quaint establishment was switched with Grillby’s and it was located just a small ways from the Swapbros’ house. That’s right, you had taken up calling Honey and Sweet ‘Swapbros’ to help ease the confusion between the two separate versions of skeleton brothers.

Speaking of the skeletons, Sans was currently in the hidden basement with Honey trying to get the machine into working order while Sweet had to go back on patrol. Leaving you… bored. Once Honey and Sans began work on the machine, the animosity that they had towards each other diminished into scientific curiosity. Sure they weren’t on the best of terms but they did respect one another enough to be able to work without problems. Since you didn’t have to make sure neither blasted the other to dust, you had been left on your own.

So you decided to explore with the promise that you didn’t leave the happy little town of Snowdin. All of the monsters around here were nice but no one past waterfall knew you were there. Running into the captain of the Royal Guard didn’t seem to be something in your best interest. Even if you kind of wanted to compare this world’s Alphys with your Undyne. Who would be stronger and would Alphys wield spears too?

“HY! WACH WHER U STEP!”

Blinking, you skidded to a halt and whipped your head around looking for the owner of the sound. It wasn’t until you looked to the ground that you found a small cat-like monster. Floppy dog ears drooped down to the creature’s shoulders onto a blue and yellow stripped shirt. It had a mop of black hair and a kind of menacing look on its face. Almost as menacing like the faces Flowey sometimes makes.

Realizing that you had almost stepped on the poor thing, you took a couple steps back and gave it an apologetic smile. Giving it a reassuring wave for good measure. Your other hand was full of all the treats that you had bought. However, the small creature narrowed it’s eyes at your actions and leaned in to get a better look at you. “U rn’t from arond her… R u?”

You shook your head while shifting uneasily under the monster’s gaze. You REALLY didn’t like the look on it’s face after you had confirmed that thought. “Sorry but I need to get back to the skeleton brothers… If you’ll excuse me.” Your phone spoke for you once you pulled it out to talk to the creepy thing. It didn’t respond and you tried sidestepping around only for it to pop right in your way again. You try the other way only for it to happen again. This continues until you are glaring at the rude monster. “Do you need something from me?”

“yes… u hav never apeard befor now. Who r u?”

“My name is (y/n)… you?” 

The puppy-cat thing brightened at your phone’s words making you think of Flowey more and more. “I’m Temmie. Temmie the Tem! And u hav somting that I need.”

“What’s that?”

“Yur SOUL!”

Five flakey-like white bullets formed in front of Temmie as you jolted at a painful tugging in your chest. The very essence of your being made it’s way out of the protective shell that is your body. Remembering what was going on, you jumped to the side as the bullets launched at your SOUL. Effectively dodging the first round of bullets. Another round was quick to follow and you had to do a little spin while taking a few steps back in order to properly avoid the onslaught.

Taking your chance, you sped past Temmie by running forward and jumping over the attacking monster. When your feet hit the ground, you put Undyne’s small amount of endurance training to use and booked it in the opposite direction of the evil thing towards the Swapbros house. When you attempted to divert into the Christmas themed house, more flake bullets formed in front of the door preventing entry.

Cursing to yourself, you dived to the ground to avoid the things. Rolling back onto your feet, you continued on towards the direction of waterfall. Hoping that Honey might be taking one of his breaks at the sentry station there. 

Effectively dodging all the bullets thrown your way (with Temmie’s angry commentary in the background), you make your way into waterfall and just keep going. Ignoring all monsters, you ran through the already solved puzzles. You didn’t know who solved them but you were thanking them over and over in your head.

The Underground was exactly the same as the one in your universe. It was a linear path through a huge cave with multiple different ecosystems. Unfortunately for you… the path leads to a dead end. You had made it out onto a path that was multiple different wooden docks over a dark abyss. The cat-like monster’s cackling increased as you looked around desperately for a way out. There were other paths on the wooden dock but they were to far away to jump to and Temmie blocked the only exit.

“No wher to run. No wher to hid. Nw u r guna die!” She sang out in a creepy horror kid voice as she summoned a wall of flake bullets in front of her to prevent any means of escape. Her song melted into an evil giggle as the bullets slowly made their way over to you. The demented monster enjoying every second of the fear that filled your face.

Your hands shot up to wrap protectively around your exposed SOUL while your eyes darted around trying to find a way out. The feeling of dread filled your being as the bullets made their way closer. There was nowhere to go. The only way out had countless magical bullets slowly closing the gap between you and the monster. What the hell were you going to do? Sure you could call Sans but there was no guarantee that he would be able to get to you before those bullets hit. Could you even take any damage before your SOUL shattered or could you take a couple hits before that happened?

This was something that you never had to consider before. Yes, you have had your SOUL out with monsters before but most times it was during an intimate moment with Mettaton or when one of your monster friends was checking the status of your SOUL. The only time your SOUL had been pulled out for a monster confrontation had been with Crimson and at the time it didn’t matter if you could get hit or not. You could still run to get away. Yet, the moment he caught you, you knew that it would be over unless someone intervened. Thank god, Alphys had relayed your text to Sans at that time.

You have no such luck here… or did you?

Taking a step back and feeling the expanse of emptiness behind, you felt the weight of the four capsules that Sans had given you at the start of your inter-universal escapades. The rest were in your bag at the Swapbros house. You hadn’t felt the need to bring all 10 everywhere. They felt heavy in your pocket as they pulsed with a slightly foreboding magical presence about them. You had hoped that you would never have to use these but it looks like you didn’t have a choice. Dropping your hand into your pocket, you switched your phone out for two of the capsules. Your eyes never leaving Temmie and the wall of magical flake bullets almost on your trapped form.

“Wut’s wit that luk humin?” the small monster giggled. “Wer is teh fear?”

With your phone now in your pocket, you didn’t have the ability to answer her. Not that it would really matter in a few moments. Whether this turned out for the good or the bad. Giving the tem a defiant look, you raised the hand with the two capsules high and threw them as hard as you could into the ground at your feet. The wall of flake bullets stopped as the capsules burst upon impact into a brilliant display of blue electric magic and then… nothing. Blinking, you eyed the remains of the plastic things that were now covered in some kind of magical residue in disbelief.

That was it? THAT WAS IT?! After all that stressing about how dangerous they were and how to only use them in a life or death situation, they just explode into a cloud of magical smoke and that’s it?! Sans was known to troll from time to time but normally it was really well timed for comedy’s sake. This was neither the time nor the place. There was a big chance that you could die! What was the point of-

Then you felt it.

All of the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end as the distinct scent of ozone filled the area around you. Magic permeated the air making it feel heavy and you watched as Temmie visibly recoiled back in shock with… was that a hint of fear?

“WUT TEH HEL IZ DAT?! HOW CAN U SUMON DAT?!”

Eh? Summon? Summon what? Feeling a powerful ominous presence behind, you slowly turned around only to freeze in place.

Behind you, floating above the dark abyss, were two huge dragon skulls and they looked positively menacing. There appeared to be some kind of rip in the fabric of space behind them, making you wonder if that is where the monstrosities came from. They certainly didn’t just warp into existence like Sans can. As your eyes roamed over these two new… additions to the situation, their eye lights weren’t looking at you. Instead they were eyeing your tiny opponent and the wall of bullets the monster had generated.

They regarded your opponent and slowly opened their jagged tooth maws. Magic began to power up within their mouths as they moved to float on your right and left sides without you saying a word or issuing a command. Just what were these things?

In all of the time that you have known Sans, you have never seen these things. You know that he can create bones and apply blue magic to them, that he can levitate things, and alter the gravity on objects as well. Objects including people. But this was entirely new though they made an odd kind of sense. Sans comes off as a lazy guy who isn’t that smart but in reality he is probably the smartest and most secretive person you have ever met. He seems weak compared to other monsters but you have seen how Papyrus, Asgore, Toriel, and even Undyne have a mutual respect for him. For someone who is a lazybones with nothing special about him, it’s weird for such high ranking POWERFUL monsters to treat him that way.

Were these dragon skull things one of his lesser known abilities? They didn’t appear like normal magic does. Did he make them? Were they sentient? Also, it appears as though Temmie had seen these guys before. So does that mean either Honey or Sweets has fought with the tiny monster? That thought alone sent a shiver up your spine. If they fought before that means either Honey or Sweet showed Temmie mercy or Temmie somehow got away and survived. Speaking of the tiny monster…

Temmie’s wall of flake bullets had changed into a more defensive position. Instead of them slowly making their way towards you, they were cut in the middle and moved into the path of both the skulls. The confidence that had been coming off of her in waves was now nonexistent. “BRIG IT ON! I dn’t kno how you sumon tem humin.. but I wil not lose!” As those words left the small monster’s mouth, the dragons released a strong beam of pure magic directly at her with deafening roars. The two beams decimating the pitiful wall of bullets and continuing on their direct path towards Temmie. With a sinister cackle, she jumped out of the way just moments before the beams converged on the spot where she once stood. “Stupid humn! Yu may hav goten me to back off. But I hav won!”

What? How in the hell is she winnin- 

The part of the dock jolted under you suddenly and your eyes shot towards the floor. It jolted again as your weight brought the side you stood on down. What? Why was this happening? It was perfectly sturdy until- oh no. Your eyes traveled up from your shaky feet towards the spot that the blasts of magic had converged. Only to find a giant gaping hole where Temmie had once stood making the side of dock you stood on unstable. It was splintering more and more by the second. You had to move. This side wouldn’t be able to hold for much longer. There were only two boards keeping it attached and that was going to change very quickly.

Adrenaline coursed through your veins with renewed vigor. There was no way to tell what was at the bottom of that abyss. There could be water from the river that seems to flow from Snowdin throughout the rest of the Underground or… there could be normal earth which would either result in you severely injured or dead. More than likely dead if you used Temmie’s words to go by.

Bracing yourself, you launched yourself from the end of the dock towards the end that was still barely attached. The force of your legs snapping the two boards keeping the thing in place as you sailed towards safety with your arm outstretched. Why you refused to let your bag of spider pastries go despite everything… was a mystery even to you. But even with your attempt at jumping towards safety, it wasn’t enough. Gravity took it’s time but about 5 inches away it took hold and you fell into the dark depths with a silent scream while Temmie’s cackles filled the silence. What was with this universe and you falling? First into the snow and now in a dark cavern? What next? The magma in Hotland? Your legs flailed above you as you tumbled head first towards whatever awaited you at the bottom.

Please let it be water. Please let it be water. Please let it be water. 

Your eyes darted up in an attempt to see how deep you’ve fallen. The dock was tiny and Temmie looked like a small kid’s toy. But what made your eyes go wide was the two dragon skulls attempting to float down after you as quickly as possible. They didn’t disappear after the immense amount of magic they just shot out of their mouths? Most magic attacks disperse once they hit their target or missed. These guys were still here and they were trying to rescue you. Just what the hell were they? Not that you were going to complain since they seemed to be trying to help you. Though they were currently failing miserably. Your descent was much faster than the rate they were trying to get to you.

After what seemed like ages you felt your body start to hit something only for everything to suddenly stop. Somehow, one of the dragon thingies had managed to get close enough to snag the back of your shirt and you were held a couple inches above the ground. Panting in shock, your heart beat at an accelerated pace to the point that you knew that it would begin to hurt soon. All of the bullet dodging, running, and life endangering shit in general was finally catching up to you now that you were away from your tiny attacker. 

You slumped forward while still being held up by the dragon skull. Your hand dragging on something cold and wet, while the other still held your poor crushed pastries for dear life.… it was water. You would have landed in water. It probably would have hurt but pending on how deep you might have survived. Instead, you were now being held up by a floating skull feeling completely exhausted after the encounter.

It took a second for you to realize that you were moving. The dragon skull that held your shirt carried you over the water to what appeared to be a small dirt patch that was poking out. It laid you gently on the earth and you let out a grateful sigh. You were alive. Somehow, against everything, you were alive.

A slight whine was coming out from above you and you glanced up to see one of the dragon heads gently nudging your shoulder with a worried expression on it’s features. So they were sentient? At least, a little bit. You lazily raised a hand and pet its snout reassuringly while closing your eyes. If they were going to hang around then it was highly unlikely that Temmie would come back. Time to take a brief break.


	82. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DID IT! I UPDATED ON MONDAY ;-;

“Oh, sweetie. There is no need for you to be so nervous. I’m sure you’ll do phenomenally! Would you like some mascara?” The human make-up artist gave you a bright smile that was probably meant to be reassuring but you weren’t really in the mood to be reassured. You politely shake your head no and slumped back in the really plush chair that you had been assigned when the make-up artist finished what he was doing. Closing your eyes with a tired sigh.

Being nervous would be much better than how you currently felt. Nervous is a feeling that can be overcome much easier and often exists for the most mundane reasons. No, you were stressed and you had every right to be. The police station felt like a second home at this point. Over the past few months, you’ve had to go back and forth so much that you’ve lost count. Statements, identifications, interrogations, and that was just for the times you went there for yourself. You also went in every time that Mettaton or one of your other friends went in too. It wasn’t like you felt obligated to do so. It was just nice to know that you had a friend waiting for you when you came out of these types of things and you didn’t want any of them having to go in alone. After all, it’s not like you HAD to work at the studio. Your job had the benefit of being done practically anywhere there were writing utensils and paper. Also when it was with Mettaton, you often went to visit Vince and Natalie afterwards if they were home. Which was nice.

Having monster friends was great but it was also nice to have a friend of your own species again. Especially, Natalie. That girl couldn’t hurt a fly. One time you came over, you found her crying on the couch only to find out that she was crying because she found out that praying mantis’s killed their mates. She was scared that the species would go extinct if the females kept killing and eating the males after procreation. It still brought a smile to your face that you had to talk her down from that and reassure her that they weren’t in any kind of danger. Moments like those have been blissful retreats from the otherwise high strung and stressful life that you’ve been living.

With all of the police visits, the investigation has progressed far enough that a court date has been set. Despite how long it’s taken, somehow BP had managed to keep the outside media exposure about the concert to a minimum but people had already made their own speculations as to what had happened. It was only natural. Mettaton hadn’t disclosed any information yet and gossip about celebrities is what makes the media thrive. Whether it was good gossip or bad gossip, it didn’t matter. They just knew that the monster icon’s concert had been cut drastically short and that the police had been later involved. There was a lot of possibilities as to what had happened and they held no qualms in trying to figure it out.

Because of all of that on top of the lack of sleep and the little amount of work you’ve actually gotten done… you were very very stressed out. There was a pressure on your left shoulder that you assumed was a hand judging by the feeling of the shape. You opened your eyes and looking towards its owner. “He’s right you know. There isn’t anything to be nervous about, gorgeous. It’s good that we finally have a chance to speak of what happened on neutral ground. Since we weren’t allowed to disclose to much because of the investigation.”

“I know… and I’m not nervous.” You signed a little to quickly. You hoped Mettaton didn’t take that as you being mad or annoyed. It was good that you were going to finally be able to talk about what happened. Especially since it won’t be on a show that was considered biased since it would have been one of Mettaton’s own shows. Your eyes wandered over the morning set that was for Norman’s channel. Quietly thanking God that the live audience was just now filing in instead of having them be there when you came in. It had given you time to regain your composure from showing up in the first place. “I’m just really tired.”

“I figured as much. If you don’t feel up to this, you don’t have to be on air with me. Don’t force yourself.” Even without looking at him, you felt the concern rolling off of the robot in droves. He knew that you hadn’t been sleeping well. He knew that you were tired. But those things didn’t matter at the moment. You needed to be here to act as a human perspective as to what happened. With just Mettaton here, people could think he was making it up but with another witness you make his words have more weight. Even with monsters having equal rights, most humans still had a slight bias. Then again it is a natural thing to want to protect your own species. It was a primal instinct. So if they heard that a human was attacked and not just monsters, everything would fall more into your favor instead of the anti-monster group’s. It was a sad but undeniable truth.

So you nodded your head to him and gave the robot idol a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. If it’s to much I’ll just leave.”

“Good. I don’t want you more stressed out than you already are. There is no way that it would be good for your heart.” His tone took on one that was playfully chastising but he wasn’t wrong. Stress can be really bad for a normal person’s heart. Meaning it was probably outright horrible for you. Ugh, why couldn’t you just be allowed a normal night’s sleep? You probably could be able to do it with medicine but you didn’t want to become dependent on it. That’s another problem you just didn’t want to deal with it. 

You simply nodded your head again and looked back to where the audience would sit. By now, most of the seats have been filled and it looked like the show was about to start. Which was confirmed by someone speaking into the earpiece that they had given you that was quickly followed by a countdown. Raising your hands, you clapped them loudly right in front of your face in an attempt to wake yourself up. It helped… a little bit. But only because your hands now stung from the impact rather than the sound.

Music began to play and the audience followed the prompts to start cheering as a spotlight aimed itself over to the right side of the set. Moments later, Norman made his entrance with a bright cheerful grin and a wave to the audience. The cheers increased while he made his way over to his desk and sat behind it. Cameramen following his every movement with practiced precision. You straightened in your seat while zoning this intro bit out. If it was something important then Mettaton would give you a hint. He wouldn’t leave you in the dark to look stupid on national TV. The robot idol would probably even give you an out to explain your behavior. He was really clever like that.

Norman got the audience under control and started talking about what was going to happen on the show today with the topics that would be discussed. You blinked when you felt Mettaton give your arm a small nudge so that you could smile and wave just as Norman introduced the two of you. Your eyelids having drooped significantly as you realized that you almost fell asleep on set.

This wasn’t going to be good at this rate…

Feeling another nudge, you looked up at Mettaton only for him to give you a wink. With the type of casualness that you thought only Sans could pull off, he leaned forward so that you would be out of frame and held a mundane conversation with Norman about something completely irrelevant that was a big deal right now. You shook your head and brought a hand up to rub your temple.

Okay, your inner thoughts were being very rude. Norman was just doing his job and you were acting like an impatient child. You knew that it was the lack of sleep catching up to you but that doesn’t excuse it. You were representing all of your friends here. You needed to be on your best behavior and here you were almost falling asleep with a bad attitude wanting to sprout because you were exhausted. This was bad. Get it together!

“...so with that being said, I think that leads into our next topic. Oddly enough.” Norman spoke with an interested authoritative voice. It was completely different to the one that he had when he had tried to get into the studio all those months ago. Turns out he had fell for a scam so his anger wasn’t unfounded but he hadn’t needed to take it out on you. The man leaned in towards Mettaton as if the monster was going to tell him a juicy secret. “It’s been months and somehow the smallest amount of information has been leaked about the mysterious happenings as to why one of your famous concerts was cut short. There has been tons of speculation yet no definitive proof. I must commend your PR department on being able to keep it under wraps so well. Even the government has problems with leaks.”

He sent a wink to the audience as everyone laughed at his words. Though it was a bit ironically funny. It was pretty bad that a TV studio was able to keep everything under wraps about one thing whereas the government had several huge leaks on the internet for various things. Mettaton chuckled good-naturedly before his face fell into one that was much more serious. “I definitely must give kudos to my PR department. I know for a fact that we had our fair share of close calls over the past few months but considering what had happened this needed to be dealt with in a very delicate manner. We wanted the police to have as uninterrupted an investigation as possible so that this could be handled properly and without bias. Pending on how the media took the initial information involved, it could have been devastating for monsters and humans alike. This is why we kept it under wraps for so long so that nothing worse could happen.”

Norman nodded his head to the robot monster’s words. “Understandable. I will personally admit that there are downsides to the media. Sometimes it can be immensely helpful but other times it can be a hindrance or much worse. It’s all in how the information given is introduced to the populace and how it’s handled by the ones talking about it. But I must say that normally that this kind of thing is done much sooner. So why now?”

“As I said, what happened is a very delicate matter and, now that the investigation is more or less complete, I have been given the okay to talk about the situation… within limitations. I cannot disclose names of those involved until after the trial as the rule ‘innocent until proven guilty’ does apply to this.” Mettaton spoke with confidence and somehow he managed to hold back the venom that you know wanted to come out when he mentioned the last part. Monsters understood the need for a trial but it was very obvious who was guilty and that phrase just left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. You were on their side but you understood it as well. There was a way to go about these things and everyone deserves the right to be able to protect themselves. Even if, they were the ones that almost dusted and killed several people in one day without any remorse. Everything would come out soon enough.

“Alright then, let’s stop politely dancing around the matter and get right into it. What happened that night?” Norman was still leaned in but he seemed to pick up on the serious aura that both Mettaton and yourself were giving off. Though you doubted he could see you very well with the way that your boyfriend had strategically positioned himself. Which was a blessing but also a kind of curse. You couldn’t really see Norman’s face that well without straining your neck and making it obvious to the audience what Mettaton was doing.

Without any further prompting, the robot star went right into his account as to what happened that night. Turns out that he had been much more informed as to what was happening backstage than you were. Which made sense considering Alphys probably had a direct line to him built into his body for emergencies. It would only be natural that he had an internal communication link to almost everyone backstage. So he told of how the anti-monster group ganged up on a couple of the human security guards to get into the building. They then commenced to try and sabotage the show and incite a riot from the audience… only to be stopped. You learned that Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Asgore all played pivotal roles in keeping the fighting that ensued backstage to a minimum and away from the potential innocents that was the audience.

Though there had been an incident when one of the bunny guards had been knocked out. It had allowed for 3 people to bypass security. Two got up on the catwalk above the stage while the third had made his way towards the stage under the guise of darkness. You shook your head to yourself and eyed the floor. That had to be Koppel and the people who dropped the sandbags during your performance. They were probably also the ones who killed the power. It was amazing what 3 people could do with a goal and bad intentions.

Norman and the audience had been dead silent during the entire retelling. Not cutting in to ask questions or anything. Then Mettaton pulled out something that you hadn’t realized that he had until a few weeks prior. He pulled up a video on a flat screen TV off to the side. The camera was situated above the catwalk so everyone watched as Mettaton and yourself narrowly dodged the sandbags that were being dropped as Koppel advanced. The faces of the people involved (save yours) had been blurred out for TV but the animosity was 100% clear. They had been actively trying to kill Mettaton and they didn’t care if you died in the process or not. 

Then came the part that has been haunting your dreams for months.

You watched as Mettaton went down after the first couple of bullets with your past self pausing for a moment only to go bolting in the direction of the sound. Gasps of horror and shock arose from the audience. Closing your eyes, you turned away from the TV and curled into yourself as much as the seat you were in would allow. Thank god there wasn’t any sound in the video. You actually had to go through this. You didn’t need to watch it again. If he hadn’t of told you ahead of time that he was going to bring this video, you probably would have had a minor freak out in front of everyone. 

Soon you felt the gentle pat of Mettaton’s hand on your shoulder and you peaked out only to see that the video had ended and everyone was stuck in a horrified silence. It didn’t help that the cameras were back to being trained on Norman, Mettaton, and yourself but maybe seeing you like that made everyone empathize more. They should anyway but sometimes that doesn’t stop people from just pushing things aside because it hadn’t happened to them.

Mettaton let the silence drag on for a few minutes before he drew the attention of the cameras back to him by wrapping a comforting arm around you and addressing everyone. “After I knocked our attacker out, I was able to make sure that Songbird here was okay and together we finished the song and ended the show early. All audience members were safely escorted out of the building and everyone involved in the attack was apprehended. The only injured party was myself and thankfully everything struck could be easily replaced. Overall, it was the best possible outcome that could possibly happen.”

“Wait, wait, wait. This is the one who was with you on stage.” Norman waved his hands around before gesturing to you. Then his eyes narrowed before they shot up in surprise as recognition dawned on his face. “You were the one who set up this interview in the first place.”

Actually, you were the one to confront him and deny him access only for him to get pissy and say something that almost got him beat up by Hoppity. But that was besides the point. You originally took his information to appease him and get him out of the building. Who knew that you would actually use it to set up a proper interview. It was probably a good thing you never told Mettaton what had happened that day. There would be no way in hell the robot star would have agreed to this if he knew what Norman had said to you when you first met. If anything it would have doubled BP’s workload as he researched the TV host to get back at the man and you wouldn’t know it was happening until Norman’s show was announcing it’s final episode. That was just the way Mettaton worked. He strategically took down his opponents while stealing their spotlight. It matched his personality to a T.

Pulling yourself out of your own thoughts, you gave Norman a small affirmative nod. Your body still curled up in the chair with the monster robot’s arms around your shoulders. Leaning back a bit, you reached out for the small dry erase board that you brought along with you so that you could communicate properly. That way Mettaton didn’t have to translate and you didn’t have to figure out how to link your phone up so that everyone could hear your responses. It would just make everyone’s lives easier.

Norman’s eyes had a weird glint in them that you were trying to ignore but failing epically. “From winning a song contest to actually being on stage. You certainly have paved your way into MTT Studios haven’t you? Though these aren’t your only appearances…” The way he lists off all the various times that you’ve shown up together with Mettaton sent awful shivers down your spine. Everything he listed off was common knowledge if you paid attention but it reminded you so much of Koppel you wanted to throw up. “…and that’s just to name a few! You have to tell me how all of this came to be!”

Your eyes narrowed at the man as you immediately picked up on what he was doing. All of the stuff moments before was really heavy and you could see that some audience members were worried about you both. Norman was taking the opportunity to divert with juicy gossip and if you didn’t provide a good answer the media was going to blow up with even more suspicions.

“Now, Norman, that is long story. We should probably stick to the topics at hand-” Mettaton started to redirect the conversation back to the concert but you had already written your answer on the board and showed it to the crowd. His words cut off by their screams and cheers of excitement.

”Mettaton = Mettabae” You made sure to draw some hearts around his name to get your point further across. There was no hesitation on your part to announce your relationship. Though you probably should have discussed it with Mettaton first. Oh well. It was out there now and it was only a matter of time before it was found out otherwise. You two were officially the first monster/human couple to make themselves publicly known. There were other couples out there. You knew there had to be but it was never discussed or brought up. With this you were stepping over a line that was going to cause one of two things to happen. Everything was going to go well or it was going to go up in flames. The latter was what you were expecting. So you were surprised at the sheer amount of happiness that was radiating off of the audience members right now.

The grin on your face couldn’t be any bigger. Everyone’s obvious support was mind blowing. Wiping the words off the board, you turn to Mettaton to sign something to him only to realize that the arm he had around your shoulders had gotten painfully tight. Concerned, you glanced up at the robot only to have the bright smile wiped from your face as Norman called for a commercial break moments before.

Noted, Mettaton was smiling and if you weren’t around him for a good portion of the day, you would be convinced that it was genuine. However, you knew that the smile was fake and your heart sunk as you noticed his eyebrow twitching. Mettaton wasn’t happy. Actually, it would be safe to say that he was downright pissed. As to why, you had an idea but you greatly hoped it wasn’t because of what you just did. It was the right thing to do. It was the perfect time and setting to announce your relationship on your own terms instead of having it warped out of perspective by everyone else. It had already been happening but this way you managed to kill a lot of birds with one stone.

Maybe you should have talked to him first about it.

You blamed the lack of sleep.


	83. Chapter 55

Silence.

That was what you were treated with from Mettaton the rest of the time at Norman’s show. He spoke to others as needed and kept up the air of jovial politeness. But to you, he said not a word or made aa sound. Which made his actions all the more jarring. Even you made sounds of either acknowledgment or the like by clapping your hands, snapping your fingers, or clicking your tongue. It continued on afterwards as you both got into the limo and made your way back to the resort.

Not a word the entire trip.

Because of this, it made the fact that almost everyone seemed supportive of your relationship meaningless. This should be a happy occasion. You should be sitting there ecstatic that the human audience (and by default most of the population) were happy for you two. But instead it felt like a hollow victory. Hadn’t Mettaton wanted to discuss it at some point? He was good at keeping you in the background but it was going to be found out eventually. So why was he acting this way?

You continued to mull his angered actions over with the heavy silence between you both making it feel as though you were going to suffocate. This was a much worse feeling. At least if he was speaking, you could tell by his tone of voice how angry he was and he would be talking so you would also know why he felt this way. This silence was the complete opposite. You didn’t know what was going on in his head and that just made your thoughts spiral more and more in speculation. Any attempt on your end for conversation was for the most part ignored. He would glance your way showing he did in fact see you trying to speak but chose not to say anything back. Though the fact that he gave your attempts any kind of acknowledgment was a good thing. If he really wanted to ignore you then he wouldn’t look at all.

Soon the limo was pulling into the parking lot of the resort and you took a silent elevator ride up to the penthouse. Along the way, you had gotten heartfelt congratulations from several of the staff and you had graciously smiled at them in return. No one seemed to notice what was going on with the robot idol because of the way he hid it. Damn him and his acting skills.

The moment you were on his floor, you headed into the penthouse, plopped down on the couch and waited. Fortunately for you, that wait wasn’t too long. Mettaton closed the door a lot harder than he normally would and headed to stand in front of you on the opposite side of the coffee table.

“y/n… do you have _any_ idea of what you have just done?” His tone was dead serious and you could sense the impending argument about to take fold. No wonder he had waited until you two were truly alone. There was no way he would want to do something like this in public for all to see. Warily, you shook your head at him and waited for the robot monster to fill you in on the vital information that you seem to be missing. Mettaton’s eye twitched before letting out an aggravated sigh. “Okay. Tell me what YOU thought you just did.”

You squirmed under his intense gaze. This was the first time you were on the receiving end of his true anger and it wasn’t pleasant in the slightest. “I announced our relationship on national TV?” your hands signed to the ghost robot monster while ending in a shrug. “It was either that or dance around the truth and have Norman try to pry it out or have him add his own speculations which could have made things worse. I’m sorry, I should have discussed it with you first but I thought you would be happy that I was willing to announce it at all”

Mettaton froze as his eyes read the last part and he brought a hand up to rub his temple. “I am. That isn’t what I’m angry about, gorgeous. And yes, you should have discussed it with me first.”

He said a pet name. HE SAID A PET NAME. Maybe you could manage to salvage this after all and at least he wasn’t mad that you were ready to announce your relationship to the world. Then what was the issue? What set him off? “Then…. what has your circuits sparking?” you signed to Mettaton in an attempt to get him to calm down even more.

Your attempt may have begun to work but it seems that you asked the correct question to get the conversation back on track. His irritation flared as he almost practically yelled. “YOU MADE YOURSELF A TARGET!” You blinked but didn’t need to ask for further information because Mettaton continued right on. “The investigation is over and the trial is set. All eyes are on us whether we like it or not because this involves both species on a huge scale. Meaning both humans who are supportive of monsters and those who would rather shove us back under the mountain in anyway possible were watching that live broadcast and what do you do? You announce our relationship to the world! Now if you were a monster or if I was a human it wouldn’t really mean that much more than some juicy gossip since we would be a same species couple but neither of us are those things.”

“Humans are just now coming to terms with themselves such as trans, bi, gay, lesbian, and much MUCH more. Noted this is an era were your species is being more open minded and accepting, there are still things that are considered taboo. It is one thing to tolerate us monsters, work with us, even be friends but being in a relationship with one is considered wrong by lots of humans.” The anger that he held in his gaze seemed to dissipate the more he spoke and was replaced with sadness at the same time. One that ran deeper if the darkness in his eyes were anything to go by. “We aren’t the only human/monster relationship. By far. But we are most definitely the one that is the most unofficially well known until now. The others either keep quiet about it or don’t bring it up because of the stigma that it brings. That’s for a normal human and a normal monster who live normal daily lives. Now imagine the repercussions that might bring on two who are essentially known world wide.”

He waited as your mind processed his worried yet kind of angry rant. It was true, you didn’t know that there were other human/monster relationships but you knew there had to be some out there. It would be impossible for them not to exist with how diverse both the human and monster populations are. Yet… he was right. Monsters were making a lot of ground for social justices everyday but there was still a lot to be gained. One of the subjects that seemed to be almost never spoken of by both parties is inter-species dating. But even with that, you were glad that you announced it when you did. 

Yes, it did put a huge target on your back for basically becoming the human figurehead for monster/human relationships but it would have been possibly worse if it had been brought up during the trial. Any testimony you had could be disputed as biased and would have been a huge twist that could turn the trial for the worse. Now that it was out in the open, the anti-monster group’s lawyers couldn’t use this gem against you and you knew that they would have if you had given them the chance. Your testimony would still be considered “biased” but who’s wouldn’t in this case anyway? Because you announced it now instead of having Koppel rat you out (He would be the one that would do it. You just knew.), the shock value was no longer there. By the time the trial starts, your relationship will be known and pretty much old news. It was still relevant but without the shock value it wouldn’t be as much of a hit.

Though Mettaton wasn’t wrong either. He had his right to be mad. You not only put yourself in danger but him. Yet, you didn’t think he was worried about himself at the moment. If anything the humans would be more mad at your for “turning” on your own species. Still, you weren’t in the wrong but at the same time neither was he. “This was going to happen eventually. People had already been speculating for a long time about us. I just confirmed it. It isn’t like we are doing anything illegal.” You signed to him in rebuttal. Not backing down like he probably thought you would.

“Correct. We are not but there is a time and place to announce something like that in showbiz and that wasn’t the time nor the place.” He was quick to come back and he crossed his arms for good measure.

“Oh really? So you are saying it would be better if it had been brought up in court where almost the entire world will probably be watching? Pending on how the defense attorney brings up our relationship, it could destroy our testimonies and we could lose the case because the jury could be biased against our relationship. Now that it’s out there… they already know! It won’t be a surprise and if used against us, won’t carry nearly as much weight as it would if it was found out there.” You were no longer sitting on the couch but on your feet with your eyes locked on his. You knew you had been right in announcing it. There was no way that you were going to give in when you knew that you were right.

“The trial is WEEKS away, Songbird. A lot can happen in that period of time! A lot of very very bad things and you just put yourself at the top of almost every monster hater’s wanted list!” Mettaton stated with his voice raising a couple octaves. “It was bad enough that they knew you were on stage and was going to testify against them. Now that they know you are dating one, they may do more than just try to convince you not to take the stand! They could very seriously hurt you.”

Your eyebrow twitched in agitation. “The same could be said for you!” your hands were beginning to fly with the sign language as you got more and more emotionally wound up. “I’m not the only target here. They are going to try and come after you as well!”

“To a point. I am the main focus of this trial. If I suddenly go missing or decide to call it off there are going to be questions and the truth would be found out rather quickly. You, on the other hand, are lesser known and as such… disposable… to those who want to try and free their same minded allies. You basically gave yourself a possible death sentence!” Without really thinking about it, you rolled your eyes at that last part. You’ve already had a death sentence applied to you since birth. What was new with that? “SONGBIRD!”

Silently, you growled to yourself. This was escalating quickly and if things continued as they were… someone was going to say something that they would regret. Neither of you was in the wrong. You both were right. It was the truth but it was an unfortunate one because you both were being stubborn and not backing down. Taking a deep breath to calm yourself down. Even if it was a small bit. You took out your phone and began texting the one person that you knew that you could turn too. “Who are you textin-”

“sup… looks like things are getting a little heated in here. congrats on the announcement by the way. watched it with alphys’s class.”

You whirled around towards the front door to find one of your favorite skeletons. To be honest, you weren’t expecting him to show up so quickly. Though judging by the fact he was wearing his lab coat you must have accidentally disturbed him while he was working with Alphys. “You could say that… and thanks.” your hands signed to the skeleton as you made your way over to the new addition to the conversation.

“Why did you call Sans here?” Mettaton spoke through gritted teeth that you chose to ignore. 

“Because we are both being a couple of hot heads and we need a chance to step away and cool off before one of us says something that will make this whole situation a lot worse.” He wanted to argue. You wanted to argue. But in the end what you both needed to do was back off for a bit. That way you could come back and discuss like normal, rational, people. Right now, you just wanted to fight for the emotional satisfaction. “I don’t want to make things worse.”

This seemed to take the spark out of the robot’s wiring. He leaned back against the wall with his face withdrawn and let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right, sweetheart. But if you aren’t staying with Sans or one of the others, I want Hoppity nearby. Understand? Wherever you are won’t be nearly as fortified as this place.” He gave in and you almost didn’t want to leave him because of that alone. You both weren’t in the best mindset though so a temporary break from each others presence was for the best. This was all coming eventually and you knew it. Ever since the concert you haven’t been away from Mettaton’s side for more than a couple hours. Even the closest people fight under those conditions eventually.

Still, what he said was reasonable. Especially with the points he brought up earlier. So you nodded your head to him in agreement before turning to Sans looking worn out. You didn’t even need to say anything to your skeleton best friend. His arms wrapped around your midsection and in a blink you were no longer in Mettaton’s penthouse. The familiar smell of burnt spaghetti filled your nose as you realized that Sans had taken you to his house rather than the lab like you expected him to do. “SANS? WAS THAT THE SOUND OF YOU POPPING INTO THE LIVING ROOM?”

“yep. just dropping in with a friend.” he removed his arms and gave you an apologetic smile as you heard Papyrus scream in playful frustration from the kitchen. “sorry, i can’t hang around but i’m sure paps can cheer you up if you want it.”

“You’ve already done more than enough. Thanks.” you gave him an attempt at an encouraging smile and received a pat on the head in return. He popped out of existence just as his brother stormed into the room to give his brother his two cents only to find you standing there alone. “Hi, Paps. Having fun-” You were cut off mid signing as the tall skeleton whisked you off your feet and into a gentle but endearing hug.

“I WATCHED NORMAN’S SHOW THIS MORNING SINCE METTATON’S WAS NOT AIRING AT THE SAME TIME FOR SOME REASON AND I SAW YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU, HUMAN!” He spun you around and you couldn’t help the silent giggles that escaped. Papyrus always had a way of getting a happy bubbly reaction out of people. It was a gift and a talent.

“Yeah, punk! That took a lot of guts to say that on TV!” Your spinning was halted by a pair of strong blue arms that trapped both you and Papyrus in a bone crushing hug. The air escaped your lungs for a brief moment before the strong fish woman released you. “I’m surprised to see you here though. I know for a fact Metts has been wanting to tell the media about this for awhile. Shouldn’t you be out celebrating?”

You went limp in the skeleton monster’s arms at her words. Normally, that would probably be the case because he would be ecstatic that you were the one to initiate it. Instead, the opposite is what happened. You got into an argument. One that you felt the need that you both needed a break from each other’s presence for awhile. It has been a long time since you weren’t nearby so tonight was going to be an adjustment.

Now that you were away from the Mettabae and no longer on Norman’s show, you felt the energy that you had leave your body as all of the emotional drain was allowed to take it’s toll on your tired mind. Letting your eyes drift closed, you didn’t catch the worried looks that Papyrus and Undyne shared just above your head. “HAVE YOU NOT BEEN SLEEPING WELL, HUMAN?” You just shook you head with your eyes still closed. Though you didn’t have the heart to tell him that you haven’t been able to properly sleep for months. The only people who knew about that were Toriel, Mettaton, and BP. Sans might know too. He hasn’t said anything if he noticed though.

“NORMALLY, I AM AGAINST NAPS BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU COULD REALLY USE ONE! WHY DON’T YOU REST FOR A LITTLE BIT AND AFTER YOU CAN TRY THE DELICIOUS CULINARY CREATION THAT UNDYNE AND I ARE MAKING!” His voice was hushed but still loud. You were so exhausted that it didn’t bother you in the least. The skeleton was moving while carrying you and you could only assume that he was taking your almost sleeping form to his room. The feeling of your body being laid on something soft that didn’t have hard bones underneath it was your reward. “I WONDER IF YOU WILL CRUISE WHILE YOU SNOOZE AS WELL?”

Oh, if only that could happen. Anything was better than the same endless nightmare. You would prefer a dreamless sleep to the kind of sleep you have been having. Papyrus draped his comforter over you before leaving the room. Leaving you truly alone for the first time in a very long while. Pulling up your phone, you checked your messages out of habit. Your heart sinking at the lack of usual ones from Mettaton. You sighed and slid the phone to rest next to your pillow. Closing your eyes, you prayed that it was at least dreamless.


	84. Chapter 56

POP! POP! POP!

You watched as the bullets penetrated through Mettaton’s metal chest plate in slow motion as though it was nothing. Time seemed like it was at a stand still when you knew that it was drastically slowed down for some reason. It was coming though. The moment you dreaded. The moment that has haunted your thoughts for a very long time.

One.

Two.

Three.

Mettaton falls. You now have the gun pointed at your chest. The fear of death wasn’t for yourself but for the monster that has just fallen before you. Even with Mettaton’s body being made of metal and mechanical parts, intent was everything. He may be able to take a few more hits, unlike other monsters, but with enough hits it was only a matter of time. Koppel fires. Mettaton fails to move from the floor. You’re hit. Blood pools onto the floor from the new hole additions to your own chest. The searing pain numbed by the more incredible pain of seeing someone you love so gruesomely hurt… or worse. Probably worse if his failure to rise is any indication. 

Despite the blood making its way out of your body, you run towards Mettaton’s prone form. You had to do something. You had to help in some way. There had to be something that you could do! As your hand touched the tip of one of his shoulder pads, flecks of dust flicked off until Mettaton’s entire body disintegrated into dust right before your eyes.

Within milliseconds, there was nothing left of the monster you’ve loved other than a huge pile of dust. All that he once was; glamorous, charismatic, loving, and loyal… Everything was gone just like that. There wasn’t even a synthetic hair for you to put in a locket or something. All there was was dust. Tears mixed with the blood as they ran down your cheeks. The only thing pulling your attention away from your dead lover was the maniac cackling of the human male you have come to despise with your entire being.

“Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We will do what we must.” Koppel stood towards the back of the darkened stage. His body rigid and with a hollowness to his eyes as though he gave up on life or died a long time ago. The words echoed throughout your mind gaining volume to painful degrees.

What we must? What the hell does that mean? And when did you even hear that statement being said? It continued as the blood and tear colors mixed. Growing and growing until that was all you saw with Koppel’s words repeating on a loop. You wanted to scream. You wanted it to end. You wanted to be at home with everyone you care about safe under one roof. You already knew how this would end. Your eyes would open and you would be back on stage moments before Mettaton was shot and the entire scene would play on repeat. If only you could just-

“WAKE UP!”

Your entire body jerked forcefully as your eyes flew open while you were being violently shaken by a certain fish monster. Mettaton? Where is Mettaton? This wasn’t your bed nor his. Where were you? Frantically, you took in your surroundings as your chest heaved from the silent sobs that overtook your being. Four walls, shelf with action figures, bright red car bed for cruisin’ snoozin… you were in Papyrus’s bedroom. That was good. That means everyone was alright. Mettaton was alright. He was safe. Speaking of the skeleton monster, he stood towards the back of his room by the door with a rather worried expression on his face.

“FINALLY! NERD, WHAT’S WRONG?” The loud voice of Undyne had you looking away from Paps into the singular yellow cat eye that was currently narrowed in concern for your well-being. She stopped shaking your person now that you were awake and you breathed a sigh of relief at that. With how hard she was shaking, you wouldn’t be surprised if you were sent to another plane of existence. When you didn’t supply an answer in a somewhat reasonable amount of time, you were shaken again with her yelling. “PUNK, WHAT’S WRONG?!”

The entire room spun a bit as your slightly groggy but adrenaline filled mind tried to comprehend what exactly was going on. Everything you just experienced… the pain, the blood, the dust… it was a dream… and one of the worst ones that you have experienced too. The whole scene had felt real. It had been way to vivid. It had been as though you had actually witnessed and experienced Mettaton’s death once before. Not to mention your own. You doubted that unless Toriel was nearby you would have survived all the blood coming from those grievous wounds. Ugh… you shuddered. It was time to stop thinking about this right now. You were awake. You would be forced to go back to dreamland soon enough and it was then you can ponder the possible things about death in that memory-like nightmare.

Now you had to figure out why you had a very concerned pair of monsters looking at you as if you had actually been shot and was bleeding out under the skeleton’s checkered flag covers. The first being… how exactly had they known you were stuck in a nightmare? You knew from experience that, even when stomping around upstairs, it barely made any noise to register to anyone on the first floor. Second, unlike others who might cry out and make noise… you can’t do those things. Your voice was permanently frozen in silence so there was no way that Undyne or Papyrus could have heard you making cries of distress in your sleep. So that narrowed it down to one of three things.

The first being that either Papyrus or Undyne came to check on you and saw what was happening. In which case, it was probably Papyrus because of the way he was hanging out in the background. He then enlisted Undyne to help if he couldn’t wake you. Second, there was no doubt that what was going on probably sent your SOUL into a downward spiral. The scenes you experienced were so powerful that they horribly mess with your emotional and mental states. You weren’t going to deny it. It often took you a few minutes to realize that you weren’t in a dream and that everything was fine. There was no doubt that this was reflected in your SOUL in some way. So that means one of these two could see SOULs and haven’t said anything or… the third option. Sans dropped in for some reason and gave them a heads up. In which case, he would probably be here and… he wasn’t. That meant it was either option 1 or 2.

You blinked and turned your eyes from Undyne to Papyrus. The tall skeleton was looking at you intently. Unfortunately, both were eyeing the spot in our chest worriedly so either they both could see it or something along those lines. Undyne’s grip on your upper arms relaxed a small bit as you rose your hands to finally respond to your friends. “Just… a very bad dream.”

“How bad?” The fish monster asked immediately. Her cat-eye boring into yours.

When you didn’t answer her back, Papyrus cut in before she could shake you again. Anyone else would probably feel threatened by the brutish way Undyne was holding you but you knew that she would never actually hurt you intentionally. Her shakes were coming from a good place. “Bad as in you hadn’t had one in awhile bad or bad as in ‘you feel you can’t escape and it keeps coming back’ bad?” Papyrus’s voice was at a normal volume as he spoke and if it wasn’t for the fact that you knew he was doing it out of consideration for yourself… you would be worried. His normally loud boisterous voice was much better in your opinion. Though his words… were a little too specific. You held up two fingers indicating the second thing he said and… was it possible for skeletons to get paler? “I see… would you like to talk about it, human?”

“YEAH! Whatever is going on is making your SOUL resonate throughout the entire house! Hell, I bet every monster in a 4 block radius could hear your SOUL cry out like that.” Undyne gently set you back on the bed as she spoke and Papyrus stepped up from the background to join her.

“Resonate? Hear?” You cocked an eyebrow at them curiously. Grateful that this little conversation has diverted away from the contents of your dream. Talking about it would probably help but you didn’t want to do it now with the entire thing still fresh in your mind. After all, your adrenaline filled heart was just now calming down.

Now it was Undyne’s turn to blink at you before she turned to sit down on the bed next to you. “Alright, time for a brief lesson on Monsters and SOULs since neither Sans or Mettaton have fully explained it to you.” She took a deep breath and for some reason you felt she was about to give you the monster equivalent of ‘the talk’. “Not all monsters can see SOULs. Only certain boss monsters and, very rarely, normal monsters can without pulling them out in a confrontation or using some sort of gadget. But that doesn’t mean that monsters aren’t in tune with SOULs.” she paused for a moment to see if you were keeping up so far and with a quick nod of affirmation on your part she continued. “Every living thing has a SOUL and since our bodies are magic formed from our SOULs… we can sense or hear them. Especially if someone is close to us. We kind of teach ourselves to keep a the lookout for signs of distress that their SOUL gives off. Cuz we want to help those we love. But good god! Your SOUL was in emotional overdrive with whatever dream you were having. By how distressed it was… we can only guess how long this has been happening or how bad the dream was.” The look of concern on both of their faces was back and you wanted to disappear. You really didn’t want to talk about this so soon. “I’m asking again. What happened in your dream?”

Ah… well that made sense. If monsters were naturally tuned into SOULs then it would be natural for them to notice a very strong emotion (or bunch of emotions) coming off of a person. Even more so for your case because you have no doubt that they keep an extra close eye on your SOUL ever since the incident. Why do you have to have such wonderful and caring friends? You heaved a heavy sigh before you stopped twiddling your thumbs to respond. “I’m not saying… I won’t talk about it but… can we talk about it all a bit later? I just woke up and still feel kind of there…” The feel of dust on your hands, the smell of smoke, and the sounds of the bullets still rang in your ears.

The two monsters shared a look above your head that you didn’t see since you had decided to look at your hands for a bit. They were still trembling. A tap of a gentle hand on the top of your head had you looking up into two semi-eager monsters that made your stomach curl with unknown dread for some reason.

Undyne’s toothy grin was broad as she spoke while looking engagingly at Papyrus. “Game night?”

“GAME NIGHT!” Suddenly, you were whisked away off the bed into the tall skeleton’s arms and down the stairs before you could even comprehend that your body had been moved. He sat you at the coffee table that now had a large array of food on it. The spread looked great but you knew better than to take it at face value. Pending on how passionate they got while cooking, this food could be the next big thing amongst people who like to use poison. Which is unfortunate because you knew for a fact that Papyrus was getting better.

Undyne… not so much. It was no wonder that Alphys ate so much cup ramen. That and she probably really liked the stuff.

A lot of the dishes were cleared off and stacks of every card and board game imaginable seemed to appear out of nowhere. You sat there in amazement as Papyrus pulled out more and more boxes of games that would put a toy store to shame. Some were for kids while others looked overly complicated. There was a lot that you managed to recognize though. “LET US PICK THE GAMES THAT WE ARE GOING TO PLAY AND THIS CULINARY GAME NIGHT CAN THEN COMMENCE!” Papyrus stated while dropping another large stack of games on the floor in front of the coffee table. His eagerness was apparent and was rubbing off on Undyne as her competitive spirit began to show. If her cackling laughter was anything to go by. This… may not have been the best idea…

This was it.

It was over.

After all this time…

“UNO BITCHES!” Undyne slapped a red one in the middle of your small circle with sheer victorious glee. Her one card danced in her blue fingertips mocking everyone else sitting at the coffee table. Yourself included. Your hand wasn’t the worst but it wasn’t the best either. The only good card was a green draw two and you couldn’t even use it on her because it wasn’t the correct card nor color on the pile. It looked as though the fish woman’s victory was assured.

“ON THE CONTRARY, UNDYNE! LET’S SEE IF YOU REALLY HAVE A CARD… THAT IS YELLOW!” Papyrus placed a wild draw four card on the pile and you held back a snicker as you watched the fake hurt spread across Sans’s face. Your best friend had popped in about halfway through game night and had immediately got roped into playing as well. There was no escape when Papyrus and Undyne were both determined.

“bro… why would you betray me like this?” His ever present grin was on his skull but you noticed that it was stretched a bit wider than normal. He seemed to be having fun with this rather cut throat game of UNO your group has been playing. After all this is the same game that had been started 4 hours ago. No one has been named the winner yet. You were glad that there appeared to be an ending in sight but at the same time… you really wanted to win. What was with this simple game and inspiring the deepest most competitive emotions in someone?

Papyrus didn’t fall for Sans’s false hurt in the least. “BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT I COULD POSSIBLY DENY UNDYNE VICTORY.”

“but _yellow_ … what if she has a yellow card?” Sans was idly looking through his hand while his brother face palmed at the pun. “yet… i already have a bunch of cards. to have more would be to much of a hassle. here ya go, kid.” He threw out a blue draw two that stacked on top of Papyrus’s wild draw four. Meaning whomever ended up with that would have to draw 6 cards.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. With the smuggest grin you could manage, you slapped down your green draw 2, thus increasing the stack to 8. The look on Undyne’s face as she realized that her once assured victory was now completely wrecked…

…was priceless.

“NYGAAAHHHH! THIS GAME IS STUPID!” The coffee table was suddenly air born as Undyne threw it high into the air. Cards gently fluttering down and you were thanking the stars that Papyrus had felt it was a good idea to move all the dishes to the kitchen. The table would have probably crashed through the ceiling if Sans hadn’t caught it with his magic. She sat back down with a huff before turning to you. The irritation of having her victory denied making the gills on her neck flare up. Even though there now wasn’t a clear winner anymore, that had been to good to pass up. Sometimes it was fun to antagonize the scarily strong fish monster. “Y’know what? Movin’ on! So it’s been awhile. Mind telling us why you are here having nightmares instead of having fun at Mettaton’s penthouse?”

Sans brought the coffee table back down to the ground as Papyrus cleaned up the minor mess of cards. “what do you mean nightmares?”

“Oh, Sans you should have been here. Her SOUL cried out in such distress Papyrus and I thought that someone was murdering her upstairs. Even had a couple of your neighbors stop by and ask what was up.” Her words shocked you. You thought that she had been kidding about the 4 block radius thing earlier. Glancing at Papyrus, his nod confirmed what you were going to ask. “But enough distraction. Spill, punk.”

Ah. So she was using this moment to redirect to your issues and away from the fact that she was about to be creamed in UNO. Well played, Undyne. Well played. Looking up at the three monsters that now have their full attention on you… you told them. You signed about the dreams, how vivid they are, and how often times it takes you a bit to recover. How sleep has been all but nonexistent and you continued until you explained what happened off air on Norman’s show. They listened in a respectful silence. Sure they could talk if they want to. It wasn’t like they could actually speak over your hands. But your friends were treating you as an equal and waited until you were done explaining what happened before speaking up.

“y’know… now that i think about it… you really did make yourself a target.” Sans stated while scratchy his boney chin absently in thought.

“Yeah, I can see where he was coming from with that. Every monster hater has your face engraved in their minds now.” Undyne confirmed from her new spot stretched out on the couch. She was staring with her one good eye at the ceiling lost in thought as well.

“BUT… (Y/N) WASN’T WRONG TO ANNOUNCE IT EITHER. IF THIS CAME UP IN COURT, THE SHOCK VALUE COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL… OR REALLY BAD.” Papyrus cut in playing devil’s advocate. Of course he would be the one to bring up your side of things.

“True…. GAH! BOTH OF THEM ARE RIGHT IN THIS SITUATION!!” The fish monster flailed in frustration and for a brief moment you were gravelly worried for the skeleton brothers couch. There was no way that it was as sturdy as the furniture at Alphys and Undyne’s place.

Sans turned his eye lights over to you. “is that why you had me come get you?”

You nodded.

“SO YOU WERE FIGHTING AND NEITHER OF YOU WERE BACKING DOWN BECAUSE YOU WERE BOTH RIGHT?”

Another nod.

“Why didn’t you both just hold a screaming match and let it all out?” You cocked an eyebrow at Undyne’s words and she seemed to backtrack. “Oh, come on! You know what I mean! Sometimes it’s good to just let off steam.”

True. You both were certainly doing that before you stepped back. “It’s only good so long as it doesn’t turn into something that hurts one of the people involved.”

“Yeah, yeah… so you texted Sans to come get you before the fight could escalate into something worse and now you are here.” Undyne waved a dismissive hand at you as you nodded at her words again. “That still doesn’t excuse the metal idiot’s anger. From what you implied, he was ready to rip you a new one.”

You were beginning to feel like a bobble head with all of the nodding you were doing.

“maybe his circuits were just overheating? it would explain why he got such a hothead over it all.” Sans shrugged. “still… we are going to have to plan some damage control. how do you feel about spending the night?” That sounded perfectly fine to you. It would be nice to hang out with your friends and maybe they could help you with your nightmare problem. 

Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We will do what we must.

You shuddered at those words. You didn’t know where you heard them but they seemed very important.

“Mettaton was still an idiot though. He could have handled that way better than he had.” The fish woman was now texting on her phone and you wondered when she had pulled it out. Normally, it was obvious because of all of the anime charms hanging off of the poor thing.

“YES, AN IDIOT HE MAY BE. BUT HE MEANT WELL.” You couldn’t help but silently chuckle at what Papyrus said.

Undyne arched an eyebrow at Papyrus unimpressed. Her fingers frozen mid-text. “He’s still an idiot.”


	85. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. My little cousin hung out with me on my days off last week so I didn't get this chapter done until... yesterday.
> 
> On that note, next week I will NOT be updating this because... I am entering an Undertale Fanfiction contest! The rules can be found here: [Contest Rules](https://undertailfanficcontest.tumblr.com/post/162896091540/fanfic-contest-rules)
> 
> It'll be a one shot about Undyne and Alphys at about 6k words long. You all know I love writing long chapters. Anyway, because this contest is ending soon I'm going to use the writing time I use for this story to compete instead. It'll only be for one... maybe two weeks but I will be posting the completed work here on Archive. Wish me luck! Enter if you want to try and hope you like it! :D

“EEEAAAGH! Alphys, darling! That is the fifth time you’ve practically electrocuted me with my own body! What is wrong??” I cried out while rubbing my synthetic cheek. It hadn’t been where I was electrocuted but I would like to think that it had the same kind of soothing effect that it gives humans who are hurt. There have been several times where I witnessed them getting a minor injury or pain and their immediate response was to rub the affected area. Somehow I have developed the habit. Even though, my body is not the same as theirs.

Alphys simply arched a rather unimpressed eyebrow at me with a look on her face that I haven’t seen in quite some time. “Oops.” was all she stated. Her tone was completely flat and devoid of the normal nervous stutter.

No other kind of response. Just oops. She looked at me a moment more before returning back to the repair job she was doing inside the chassis under my breastplate. The parts she needed, to fully repair the damage due to the bullets I had taken a while ago, had finally come in and I hadn’t seen the need to wait any longer than necessary to get it fixed. Constantly being plugged into a wall was such a mood killer. I had hoped that maybe it could also take my mind off of some not so happy recent events… It’s only been two days but I can’t help feeling worried. She is probably fine… Sans wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. Those two were thick as thieves. So I couldn’t possibly think that this isn’t the best outcome to come from what happened with all things considered.

A heavy feeling seemed to start forming in the center of my SOUL. Ugh. Now was not the time to be thinking about her. I wanted a small break from all of those thoughts. Not a big one. Not forever. Just a small one. Everyone who lives together or is around each other for a long time will eventually get on each others nerves. Fights happen all the time. It’s a rather common thing because of the fact that they are close. It doesn’t mean that the people involved don’t like each other anymore. It just happens. It’s all in how they react to the argument and what is said. Thankfully, Songbird had the sound mind to back off whereas I… hadn’t.

Not in the least.

I wanted to groan and rub my temple but Alphys was already in some sort of weird mood. She has never electrocuted me before. Normally, the yellow scientist was rather good about being quick and efficient in her repair jobs. Today, not so much. She didn’t act this way unless I had done something. Ever since she has come to terms with herself and what she has done in the past, this adorable little monster has gained confidence by leaps and bounds. She is still shy with people she doesn’t know but to the people she keeps close to her SOUL? Well, let’s just say she often makes her mind known one way or another. This time it appears to be the latter. I wonder why-

“EAAAH!” I cried again as I felt another jolt through my SOUL and I sent one of my most dearest friends in my entire life a rather dirty look. “Alphys. Darling. Is there something on your mind?” All of the shocks were small and didn’t do any damage to my SOUL. It was the surprising jolt that got me more than any amount of pain. She didn’t want to actually hurt me. This monster couldn’t hurt a fly… at least intentionally.

“Noooooooo… you think?” Her eyes darted back to my face with another crooked eyebrow but the difference this time was the pure sass that was in her voice. A type of sass that she didn’t start developing until after we started hanging out for a bit after the initial Human Fan Club meetings.When she started letting her guard down more and just being herself instead of the ‘royal scientist’. She started picking up moods and the like from the people she cares about most. I must admit that, personally, I am rather proud of it. Alphys is rather adorable when she has this attitude. Even though, the only other person to see this side of her was Undyne. That had been hilarious to explain. If the fish monster hadn’t been as amused by it as she was, I would have thought she would have called me a bad influence.

So while fighting back my instincts to smirk at the yellow dinosaur monster, I kept my expression a more neutral annoyed. “Sweetheart, then you need to tell me. Mind reading isn’t one of the things that you installed in my body but if possible I would like to make a request for the future.” My hand was point towards the ceiling as I said it. There were some monsters who did have minor telekinesis abilities and the like. It wasn’t 100% impossible then… could it?

“Mmmmm… I’ll make sure to add it in when I install your brain.” she stated in a matter of fact tone. Her work completely unhindered. Ouch. I don’t even think the Flamesman family could make as sick a burn as that. Props, Alphys. Props. “But you are correct. It isn’t fair to be mad at you and you have no idea as to why. Simply put… You’re an idiot.”

“That I am…” My lips had already said it and it was true. Compared to a lot of people, I really was an idiot but it wasn’t like Alphys to just spew insults. Especially at a friend. “Might I ask, why I am one this time?”

“You really think I don’t know about your little spat after Norman’s show? Hell… I could tell something was wrong the moment she announced your relationship on the show. Anyone paying close enough attention would have. Which I can guarantee a lot of people were.” Alphys let out an aggravated sigh before looking at me again instead of her hands. “I understand you were mad but there was a time and place! Think about it! I’ve heard you tell me countless times how you wanted to announce your relationship but was worried. Then she does it of her own accord and you get mad? Noted, I get why you were but that kind of response could have waited. Better yet… HANDLED a lot better. People are going to be judging your relationship a lot harder than they were before… Not only that, can you imagine how she felt like when you reacted so negatively?”

The longer Alphys continued the more emotional she got until her voice was really high pitched and I was glad that my ears didn’t have the ability to ring. It was still uncomfortably loud though. But… she was right. I had been so mad… worried… scared… that I hadn’t even considered what my actions may have done to Songbird. How had she felt? How would have I felt in that reversed situation?

Worried.

Scared.

Maybe… even afraid?

Probably any good feelings about stepping up and announcing the news had been completely destroyed. What was worse… was there was no way to get that moment back. You could only announce something like this once. Once. And in a glorious fashion, I turned it into a pure train wreck by not reacting so… eloquently. I know for a fact that she didn’t start to feel mad until we began speaking back at my place. Before that she had been timid, trying to get me to express what was wrong. She only wanted to make things right. Hell, I bet she felt absolutely horrible because I hadn’t been willing to respond. Then again, there were to many people about and I was just… MAD.

It wasn’t even her that I was mad about either. It was this damn situation that we were both stuck in. Racism, stalking, death threats, attempted murder… These are all things that really shouldn’t be considered. Let alone allowed to happen. With our lives in the limelight and monsters being free only a short while, this was just what we had to go through. Songbird just… happened to make it worse for herself… and maybe better in the long run? It terrifies me of what could happen in the near future. So many possibilities. So many outcomes and all because of the choices that we make in the present. It didn’t matter how small they were. After all if we had been a same race couple, no one would have batted an eye. Why was it so hard for people to just let others be? Why must they hate and destroy everything that is different or new? Did they gain some sort of sick satisfaction by doing so? I mentally sighed at that line of thought. There was no point in delving into that side of things for the moment. Nothing would change of it. At least, not right now anyway. I would be more productive in thinking about what was coming next.

All of the good things… all of the bad things… To be honest, we won’t know until the trial. There was a huge possibility that nothing will happen. We’ll prepare precautions, go about life as normal as possible, and the trial will happen and then that’s it. Happy ending. Nothing goes wrong. The end. But… other than catching all of the conspirators at the concert without anyone getting hurt, when has life ever gone the way we wanted it too? Something was going to happen. Before the trial. That was certain. Whether it was good or bad depended entirely how we planned for the here and now.

I’ll be damned if even a single hair gets harmed on her he-

“AAAA-ALPHYS, PLEASE!” The crackling sound of electricity was drowned out by my surprised cry as a particularly painful jolt made itself known in my SOUL. I sent her a glare only to receive a rather sheepish smile in return.

The scientist was getting flustered at actually having hurt me. I didn’t need to check my stats to know that my HP had dropped a small margin. Not life threatening by any means but the fact it dropped at all probably had jump started her anxiety. “I-I’m sorry. That time wasn’t on purpose… I-I crossed t-two wires that shouldn’t hav-” 

“Uh-huh. You sure you don’t need a new brain yourself?” my voice was full of sarcasm. No malice or anger behind the words that I spoke. She needed a distraction before she slipped to far down the anxiety rabbit hole and I was more than happy to provide just that. She just needed to get right back on that sass-train she’d been on until now. Sassy Alphy was best Alphy.

I watched as her entire body froze. Her mind doing a mental reboot to calm herself down while it busied itself with making a good come back. She knew I challenged her and I was going to give her as much time as she needed to come up with a good one. This wasn’t the first time I used this tactic to ground her. I’m just surprised how well it works. Glad I stumbled across it all those years ago. “P-please, Mettaton! If a-anything my brain just needs a quick restart. Y-yours on the other hand... w-well let’s just say, a floppy disk would be an upgrade.”

AAaannnnd the sass is back ladies and gentleman. There was a brief pause as we looked at one another before huge grins spread across both of our faces. Laughter filling up the examination room as we both lost it. Everything that was bad was suddenly gone. The tension, suspense, fear, and just pure negativity. Gone. The more the jovial feelings grew the further those things were pushed away. I think it was something that we both needed.

“ahah! Ahem! But in all seriousness, you really do need to apologize on how you acted.” Alphys said once she got her laughter under control. She made a few adjustments and closed the pink breastplate.

“Yeah, I know, Darling. Don’t worry. I will.” I practically purred at her as I sat up and stretched. Once again, there was no real point in me doing it. My body didn’t have muscles but the action itself was soothing and has become a habit after seeing so many others do it as well. As for how to apologize to my adorable little Songbird… I would have to get creative. She only deserved the best. Which was something that I haven’t been doing lately. There wasn’t any better a time than now to start fixing that. But before I do… “Alphys, how did you know about our… off camera fight? The only other person to be there (kind of) was Sans. I, certainly, didn’t tell anyone about it.”

The little yellow monster held up her cellphone and raised a skeptical brow at me. “Undyne.”

“Undyne??”

“YO! I HEARD MY NAME! WHAT’S UP?” The loud fish monster’s voice announced as she rounded into the room from the hallway and stopped dead once she saw me sitting on the examination table with Alphys standing not to far away. “UNO!”

“Uno?” Now it was my turn to arch a brow at Undyne as she pointed right at me while she screamed the word.

She nodded her head in a brisk affirmative. Her finger never wavering in its direction. “UNO!”

Unwittingly, I pointed to myself. Still very very confused. “Uno…?”

“Uno.” Undyne nodded her head as if she came to a conclusion to something that had been plaguing her for a long time. “I’m going to call you Uno from now on.”

“w-WHAT? Why?!” I stuttered in pure confusion as I gave her a perplexed look. Not bothering to keep a suave appearance in front of these two. They’ve seen just about every side of me that I have. The good and the bad. There wasn’t any need to hide anything. Not anymore.

Jagged sharp teeth became more and more pronounced as Undyne’s face lit up in a wicked grin. One that I’m not so fond of seeing at the moment. This woman was scheming something. “No reason.” She then strolled past me without so much as a word about my argument with Songbird to give an overly dramatic kiss to Alphys that left the little dinosaur a blushing mess.

She knew about it. Alphys clarified as much. Though I was still confused as to why I wasn’t metal scraps on the floor. It wouldn’t be the first time that Alphys had to do an extra repair job because Undyne and I had an argument. Personally, I think Undyne likes fighting me because she knows that my limbs can be torn off only to be reattached later. It’s been a long while since our last sparring match though. I don’t think I want them to be starting up again anytime soon. So I did the only thing I could do in this rather odd predicament.

I let it go.

“Well, that was certainly… random. Thanks for your help today Alphys, Darling. It’ll be nice not being a wallflower anymore.” With grace, I hopped off the table and turned towards the door only to be stopped by a very strong blue hand on my shoulder. I prayed that Undyne hadn’t dented the metal. Sure it was an easy fix but I really didn’t want to lay back down on the table after having just gotten up.

“You’re going to _talk_ to her… right?” I didn’t have to turn around to know that the ex-Captain of the Royal Guard was giving me one of her most intimidating glares. Ones that she only gave out to those that she deemed have royally messed up in her opinion. I don’t know how she knew about the fight nor did I know how she got so involved. But if Undyne is doing this, at minimum, then at least there was still a chance at fixing things. Because if there wasn’t then I would already be scrap metal. Undyne was rather fond of my human as well. Who wasn’t? She was kind, adorable, sweet… and strong.

I grabbed her hand and gently pried it off. Well, as gently as I possibly could. Undyne really didn’t want to let go. “I _will_.”


	86. Contest entry is finished

Yooooooooooo! Sorry for the 2 week delay but I finally got my entry done and this will count as this week's update! It is 6k words long and I hope that you all like it. It'll be back to normal updates after this! :D

archiveofourown.org/works/11779500


	87. Chapter 58

Pain.

Pain was all you felt while it blossomed within your lower abdomen as the bullets penetrated through it instead of your chest like usual. The creepy lifeless eyed form of Koppel stood a few feet down the stage repeating those three sentences over and over. The words still confusing you as you struggled to wake up from the dream that you were currently trapped in.

_Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We will do what we must._

This wasn’t the normal nightmare that currently plagued your sleep. It was different. They all felt real as though you had actually experienced them. The sounds, smells, feelings… all of them very very real for something that your mind made up on the fly to torment you. These things were much more powerful than any other kind of night terror that you have had in your life. They were almost like… you were reliving memories. Memories that never actually happened because you were never shot and Mettaton hadn’t failed to get up.

Yet even comparing to the usual ones, this dream was different. You’ve never been shot in the abdomen before. You also never jumped in front of Mettaton to take the initial bullet onslaught to receive such grievous injuries. Looking down, you watched as blood pooled from the deep physical wounds while your knees gave out and you fell to the stage floor. Koppel’s maniacal laughter followed your descent. This was surreal. Even the pain felt as though you had truly experienced it before. Your hands were unconsciously wrapped around the new holes trying to staunch the blood flow but even you knew that you were a goner. There was to much blood and not enough time.

“(Y/N)!!” Mettaton’s voice cut into your own thoughts and you glanced back to see him on his knees with his hands hovering over your still form. Wanting to help, wanting to touch, but ultimately not knowing where he could without hurting you even more. Tears were flowing freely down his face and your SOUL wrenched painfully at the sight. All of his confidence and happiness was replaced with an unending fear and sadness that you never knew could be expressed with a robotic face. Not really thinking, you reach one of your hands up and offer a reassuring smile to the ghost monster. His hands clapping over yours staining the white gloves red with your blood.

You knew that you were going to die before him. In this dream at least, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t make your death easier for him to grasp. Death has been standing next to you since you were born. He knew this but you knew that it didn’t make this situation any easier. Even if this was a dream, you had to make sure that he knew that you were alright. That you were okay. Darkness was already beginning to spread into your vision so you knew that there wasn’t a lot of time left. Removing your other hand from your abdomen, you raised it into his line of sight and began to sign while mouthing the words in case your trembling hand couldn’t get the message across.

His eyes never blinked. Watching your hand with complete conviction and concentration as you slowly spelled out what you wanted to say. “Everything… will be okay…”

“No.. no, it won’t.” Mettaton’s voice trembled as he spoke barely above a whisper but it just caused you to smile at him a bit more.

“Yes… it will… I’ll be fine.”

He shook his head, vehemently denying your final words so far. His tears falling freely onto your body. “You don’t know that…”

“Yes… I do.” You couldn’t help but silently chuckle at him. Here you were, on your deathbed (per se) and it was Mettaton who was trying to deny the fact that you soon wouldn’t be existing in this world instead of yourself. Oddly, you felt a sense of peace. Maybe it was because you knew it was a dream or that this wasn’t how the events actually happened. Regardless, it was.. relaxing. Freeing almost with the way that you no longer feared death now that you were at it’s door. Your smile went from reassuring to something more genuine and you could tell that it perplexed the monster. “I’ll.. be fine. Just remember… to stay fabulous… and…”

“And, what?” The trembling in Mettaton’s voice had carried over to his hands as he held onto yours hard enough to hurt but you could barely register it now.

“That… I love you.” You signed it before your hand fell back down from the strain of keeping it up and you gave him a show stopping smile.

“I-I love you too… (y/n)? (Y/N)!” The darkness in your vision grew as you felt as though you were falling deep underwater. Mettaton’s voice sounding farther and farther away with each call of your name. It felt like time had stopped when in reality seconds ticked by. Not caring that something bad was happening. Time just continued on. When it became obvious that you were to far gone and weren’t going to come back, you watched as the never ending sadness on the ghost robot’s face morphed into something that struck you to the core.

Rage.

Pure unadulterated rage.

He gently placed the hand of yours he was holding onto your chest before standing up to his full height. Slowly, he stepped over your body and began to advance on your attacker. Mettaton’s right arm morphing into something that you only have seen once and even then it had been used just as a warning. 

“You are correct… I did take everything from you, Koppel… Everything but your own life because you were trying to take everything from mine but now…” Mettaton’s voice no longer had the emotional stutter to it like before. It was low and dark. Menacing. Koppel had taken several steps back until he was hitting the backstage wall with no means of escape. The lights from the front of the stage elongating Mettaton’s shadow so that it loomed over the man. A high-pitched keening reached your ears as the robot monster raised his right arm that had finished morphing into a cannon. Making sure to direct it right at Koppel’s terrified form. Magic began swirling around the muzzle as it charged up in a spectacular array of white and pink lights.

“I’m taking your life too.”

The cannon fired with an ear shattering blast as the light it emitted blinded everyone in the nearby vicinity. Koppel’s dying screams were the last thing you heard as the white light faded to black and your eyes snapped open to be greeted with your bedroom ceiling. A thin layer of sweat covered your entire body as your heart pounded frantically in your chest making your pajamas and blanket cling to you like a second skin. You took several deep breaths as you grounded yourself.

What the hell was that? You died in most of those dreams but this was the first time that you died before Mettaton did. Not only that… Mettaton had _killed_ someone. He had actually vaporized Koppel in pure rage. Out of the countless nightmares you have had as of late this was a first. You had to fight back a shudder at the images you had just witnessed. If only that was all they were. Why did they have to feel so real?

Once you felt that you had finally calmed down, you groggily sat up and took a quick look around your room. Everything was normal. All of the fish babies were swimming idly in their tank, you could hear Hoppity watching a Spanish soap opera in the living room down the hall, your broken violin still sat atop your dresser… everything was fine.

“Birdy? Birdy, are you havin’ those nightmares again?” Well, everything was fine except for you. Hoppity’s carpet muffled footsteps followed his trail all the way to your room where he popped his large furry purple head around the corner. You looked up at him slowly and gave him a small wave in greeting. The blanket starting to get uncomfortable. “Nap not work out like you thought it would?”

You shook your head as you sit up while rubbing your eyes. If anything, the nap you had just awoken from had made everything worse. Now not only were you tired; you were tired, covered in a cold sweat, and had to wash your bedding. Peeling off the covers slowly, you couldn’t help but wonder why the dream was different this time. The dull ache from the bullet wounds in your dream still making themselves known even though there was nothing there. Why the change?

Hoppity stood to the side so that you could exit your room. The solemn atmosphere making it apparent that you SOUL was not in a good place, especially if Hoppity had come to check on you before he even knew that you were awake. You needed a moment to clear your head so you gave the monster a small tired smile while raising your hands to speak. “I’m going to take a shower. Maybe that will help me a small bit.”

“Hey, hot water is always helpful. You go relax and I’ll load up some episodes of _La Fea Mas Bella_. Fernando actually thinks that Lety is in love with Tomas and thinks that he has to save the company from her. It is starting to get rather interesting.” Hoppity practically sang the last part and you couldn’t help the smile making it’s way onto your face. Seeing this large muscular purple rabbit monster go on and on about a silly cheesy Spanish soap opera like a gossipy house wife just never failed to brighten your mood. The contradiction was just so comical that you couldn’t help it.

“Sounds good. Don’t you start watching ahead without me now.” You made sure to give him a playfully snarky glare as you signed it.

The bunny monster looked pained as though you had taken a knife and stabbed him through the heart. “Birdy.. y’know I would never do that. I’m not some soulless monster.” He pretended to stumble a bit and you silently giggled at his antics. You just rolled your eyes and gently pushed him out of the way so that you could make your way into the bathroom. “Take yer time and relax.” He called out after you as you closed the door.

Turning the knobs, you set the water to a comfortable temperature before getting in. The entire time you allowed your mind to remain blank and just enjoy the hot water as it removed the subtle remains from the nightmare you had prior. Even the pain in your abdomen is now nonexistent. The only reminder was the phantom pain in your mind. This was just getting weirder and weirder.. yet, why was it? Raising your hands, you gently slap yourself to pull yourself together. These thoughts weren’t helping you to calm your mind and hopefully be pulled back into dreamland. If anything they just caused more questions to form for the endless spiral in your head already. Humans were not made to function on very little sleep over long periods of time. Something will give sooner or later and that something was going to be you.

In the end, you did as Hoppity had said and took your time. The hot water did wonders but woke you up more rather than relaxing you enough to try another attempt at sleep. Looks like you were going to have to just go about your day half asleep. Eh… what else was new? After making sure the hall was clear of any purple rabbit monsters, you ran to your room in a towel to go change your clothes. Not having thought of bringing a set with you on the way in and not wanting to change back into your pajamas only to take them off again. Once done, you headed towards your living room with the sounds of the intro to _La Fea Mas Bella_ carrying down the hallway spurring you to move faster. 

That double crossing rabbit. He was starting without you.

You skidded to a halt right before the doorway, turning to give that monster a piece of your mind when another sound stops you.

“Is this seriously what the two of you watch when I’m not around?”

“Bahahaha, careful boss. You hang around with us and you’ll be dragged into telenovellas as well.” Hoppity’s barking laughter cut off the suave voice of Mettaton and you sidled up to the wall in the hallway so that neither of the monsters could see you. It had been about a week since you called the break and during that time you’ve only had a minimal amount of communication with the ghost monster. During said break you had kept your word and you hadn’t been alone because Mettaton had been right. You had attracted a lot of attention to yourself. A couple of neighbors had recognized you and had thought that your front yard would make a great new place for a trash dump by throwing all of their garbage on it. Not to mention the reporters who have tried staking out your house only to be asked to kindly leave by you or whichever of your friends was hanging out with you that day. It wasn’t all bad. You got several people coming by to wish you luck in the trial and some had sent you fruit baskets. It was weird to see the two warring sides of humanity almost literally displayed on your doorstep.

“Hmm…” Mettaton purred as they both paused to watch what was on the TV for a moment. “So…. how has she…?” He cut the sentence off before he could voice it but you and Hoppity knew what he wanted to ask.

“Mmm… fine for the most part.” You heard the couch settle as the purple monster got more comfortable. “Not sayin’ she’s been treating this like a mini vacation buuuut for the most part? Birdy understands your point of view and has cooled off. I bet she’s been waiting for you to make the first move.” That monster was more observant than he looked. That was exactly what you were doing. Cooling off differs from person to person and since you hadn’t been talking you didn’t know what mindset Mettaton was in. So the only thing you could do was wait or test the waters. If he hadn’t contacted you in a few more days then you were going to message him but it looks like you wouldn’t have to worry about that now. Actually… when had he got here?

“Makes sense… I was the one that had wanted to continue fighting after all. But… what about the other part? The not ‘fine’ part?”

“..I don’t get it. Those dreams? Y’know the ones that are making ‘er look more and more like a zombie than a human? I swear they’ve done nothing but get worse.” All of the jovial boisterousness that Hoppity’s voice normally had was gone. He had a lower tone and he sounded more stressed out than you have ever heard from him before. “If you had been here just 2 hours prior… you would have felt the pure despair and fear yerself. Gods, I never knew a SOUL could… scream like that. Paps had warned me about it happening the other day but.. I didn’t think I truly believed ‘im ‘til I experienced it myself. How have you been puttin’ up with it?”

“Honestly? When it was just with me, her SOUL calling out wasn’t so bad. I mean, her reactions are completely within reason after all. It was a terrifying experience that she had to witness. Naturally, mine would respond in kind and she would settle down to a more peaceful sleep or wake up.” You heard Mettaton let out a frustrated sigh. “So I can only conclude that either my presence just calms her or I may be the reason she is having them in the first place.”

Mentally, you zoned out from eavesdropping on their conversation to do some math in your head. Now that you thought about it, the dreams did start getting worse after you left Mettaton’s penthouse. Every other time he had been nearby and his SOUL… had responded to yours? Had you been comforted all of those times your SOUL had cried out for his because he had been nearby to answer? There was only one way to find out.

Quietly, you left the monsters to their conversation and made your way back to your bedroom. Sprawling out on the rumpled sheets, you closed your eyes. It was time to see if your hunch was true. Now you just had to force yourself to sleep.


	88. Chapter 59

“Ahahahaha, you won’t win this. Do you HEAR me? You won’t WIN THIS!”

Well, this is certainly different.

You watched a rather deranged Koppel as he floated in mid air with a slight blue aura wrapped around his sickly yellow SOUL. Sans walked down from the catwalk with his eye lit up. “i had a hunch that this was your SOUL color. the opposite of justice. vengeance.” His deep baritone barely cut in through the music that was playing on repeat at this point. You stood next to Mettaton holding a slightly bleeding shoulder from the bullet wound you had almost received when Koppel fired but missed. The robot idol’s wounds were no different than the ones he had sustained in reality. The only difference until now was that you had been shot at but not directly hit.

“You won’t win. I won’t let you win. We will do what we must to get monsters back where they belong!” Koppel’s maniacal monologue was cut off as Sans used his powers to shake the man around a bit. He didn’t hit any walls but the movement was violent enough to shut the guy up.

“Oh, darling, hush up. We will win because Sweetheart? We HAVE won. You are caught. Your followers are caught. Your plans were thwarted and everyone is being safely evacuated as we speak. At long last, this is all finally over!” Mettaton practically rolled his eyes at the human male as he spoke but it didn’t seem like the words really affected Koppel in any way.

Koppel laughed even though he looked kind of disoriented. “No, it isn’t. It’ll _never_. Be over. As-”

“Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We will do what we must. Yeah, we get it. You’re a group of monster murdering jerks.” You signed after stomping the floor hard to get the attention of the three boys. At this point you were practically rolling your eyes at Koppel too. That stupid saying has been rolling around in your mind so long that it may have been your first words for all you knew. The boys went silent as they each gave you an odd look when they each interpreted your hand signs.

“Goodness, beautiful, that was rather morbid.” Mettaton raised a rather shocked eyebrow at you and you gave him a confused look.

“yeah, where on earth did you hear that at?” Sans was giving you a look that you couldn’t place. His eye lights dimmer than they were previously. Even the one that was currently holding Koppel in the air.

“What? That was what he was going to say!” Your hands retorted to him. “He has said it a lot!”

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?”

“yeah, ‘m pretty sure he never said that.”

You ran your free hand over your face so as to not smear your own blood all over it with the other and let out an aggravated sigh. This was your dream meaning that you were in control right now. Characters should only know what you want them to know and this was something that they should know by now with ease. How could they not know about the three sentences that have been plaguing your existence for weeks? So you just rolled your eyes at the two of them before replying. “Please. I’ve relived this nightmare for months now and this guy!” You pointed to the floating Koppel. “Has said it so much that it might as well be his catchphrase.” When the boys continued to look at you with shocked and confused looks you let out an aggravated huff. “You know what? I want to wake up now. This dream is just getting way to weird for me.”

“D-Dream? Darling, what on earth are you talking about?” Mettaton stuttered in shock as you looked around the open stage area. The only times you woke up was when you died. Then or not long after. So the easiest way to wake up was to kill yourself, right? Because otherwise the dream wouldn’t end, it’s pull was to strong without an outside influence and you couldn’t bank on Mettaton or Hoppity waking you up. Your SOUL was fine because… oddly enough this dream was fine. Everyone was alive. As you continued to look around, your eyes landed on the one thing that could make this dream end.

Koppel’s gun.

It rested on the floor just a few feet away. The bullets still within because in this dream Sans had been the one to apprehend Koppel, not Mettaton. So once the man was separated from his weapon, the skeleton monster used his magic to lay it off to the side. Without a word, you walked over to it and picked the gun up. The pistol being far heavier than you originally thought.

“uh… kid?”

“Sweetheart…? What are you going to do with-” Before Mettaton could finish his sentence, you brought the muzzle of the pistol right up to your temple after checking to make sure that there was a bullet in the chamber. It was time to wake up… so to speak. Just as you were about to pull the trigger, the weapon was ripped from your hands and your body was pulled in the opposite direction. A familiar blue glow encapsulating both the gun and yourself. “SONGBIRD! What the _HELL_ did you think you were doing?”

“I just wanted to wake myself up! That was the only way to do so.” You signed to the frantic robot as if you were relaying common knowledge.

“This isn’t a dream, darling! You almost killed yourself right in front of me! How can you be so delusion-” Mettaton’s slightly pissed off rambling was cut off as Sans stepped forward while lowering you back to earth.

“wait… you really think this is a dream, don’t you?” You sent the skeleton a flat look and you watched as his brow furrowed in thought. Your look the only answer he needed. “how many times have you ‘dreamed’ about this?”

“Way to many to count. Though I must say that this is all entirely new. Normally, Mettaton is shot, crumbles to dust, then Koppel shoots me next while saying those three sentences.” Your hands explained for you though you weren’t sure why you were explaining this to a figment of your imagination. “I mean come on! Do you really think I would be the kind of person to just off myself in front of my boyfriend and best friend otherwise?” You knew that you were fragile but you weren’t that far gone.

“No.” Sans and Mettaton stated in unison and a look of realization spread across the skeleton’s features.

“this seriously can’t be happening right now.” Sans rubbed his temple with his boney hands as if he had the world’s worst migraine. “okay, so what happened in reality?” You arched an eyebrow curious as to why you were going to do this but explained anyway. Both of the monsters watched intently as you explained their future and your past while leaving out some of the more personal details. You didn’t want to spend to much time telling them but the more details you gave the more Sans’s brow furrowed and the more confused Mettaton got.

“You have quite the imagination, gorgeous. But none of those things have happened.” Mettaton brought a hand to his cheek, pondering out loud.

“yet. those things haven’t happened yet.” Now it was Sans’s turn to let out an aggravated sigh and for you to be confused.

Mettaton arched a curious eyebrow at the skeleton. “You seem to have some knowledge that I don’t. Care to inform the rest of the class?” You couldn’t help but nod along to the ghost’s question.

“okay. listen. kid. i don’t know how you are doing this but you need to tell your sans what is going on in these ‘dreams’. Also…” Sans was giving you a look that was deadly serious. So serious that you actually felt a little scared when he leaned in and whispered something into your ear before stepping back. “maybe tell them to use a little less determination in your SOUL supplement.”

“Your Sans?” Why was he referring to himself in third person and why did he whisper that to you? This was getting weirder by the minute. You know what? Whatever. There was nothing else that you could do other than roll with it. “Also why? Other than this dream and one previously, the rest are all exactly the same. Koppel kills us both. Speaking of…” When you looked towards where Koppel was floating, you paled. He was no longer in that position. Instead, he had made his way over to the gun that had been thrown off to the side and was pointing it into the audience. The blue aura still wrapped around him due to the influence of Sans’s magic. Using the fact that the skeleton was distracted to fight back against the monster that held his SOUL. “Sans, why is Koppel all the way over there?”

The boys spun around in the direction that you were pointing. “ah shit…” Before he could pull Koppel back, the man readied the trigger and fixed the three of you in a steady gaze.

“So I can’t kill you… guess I’ll have to settle for the next best thing. Your supporters.” With that, Koppel fired with reckless abandon into the crowd. The magic on his SOUL fading immediately to wrap around the bullets as screams of fear and panic erupted from the massive audience. 

Chaos broke loose.

People were running in a blind panic. Their screams drowning out all other sound save Koppel’s laughter as he fired until he came up empty. Mettaton ran up and relieved the man of his weapon while Sans brought the bullets off stage. You watched as Koppel was dragged off by Sans and as Mettaton turned his mic back on to try and tame the crowd. But to no avail. Everyone’s fight or flight response had kicked in and were attempting to make haste towards the exits with little regard to the people around them.

This was a disaster. People were being trampled or getting hurt by trying dangerous maneuvers to get out of the building faster thus making crowds form and causing more panic to ensue. These people were going to kill each other at this rate. You watched with a blank stare while your mind fought to figure out something that you could do. You had to do something! Anything to calm everyone down.

The music from your song hit a pitch and brought you back to earth. Despite everything, it was still playing on an endless loop on the speakers only to be drowned out by the cries of fear. Your eyes fell to the violin that had been discarded a while ago. Maybe… there was something that you could do after all. It wasn’t much but it was worth a shot. So you ran over to the violin. Picking both it and the bow up, leaving your arm to just bleed now that your hand wasn’t stopping it anymore. You eyed the violin softly. This was the thing that calmed you down the most. It has helped you in so many ways with your emotions. Maybe you could get that point across to everyone else. Making sure that your violin was still plugged into the speakers, you readied your bow just above the strings. This was the only thing you could think of. This had to work. It _must_ work. You looked out at the crowd with a determined expression. 

It _will_ work.

When the music reached the beginning of the song again you brought your bow down across the strings as you began to play. Putting your all into the music and willing for the calmness you felt to resonate with everyone else. Your eyes slowly sliding shut out of habit as you played. It felt as though you were on a different plane of reality. The only things within were you, the violin, and the music. Your will soaring as the music took over and you unconsciously began to move to the melody. Strength of will you never knew you had washed over you like a cool breeze as you continued to pour your SOUL into the music.Your goal to calm the crowd never faltering despite the chaos that was ensuing around you making it near impossible to get their attention.

You were filled with PERSEVERANCE.

The outside world melted away as you continued to play. Your hands never faltering and your will never wavering. The entire experience completely surreal. It truly felt as though you were pouring your SOUL into the song. You were even beginning to feel drained. Odd. You could play for hours on a normal day. It was then that you allowed yourself to come back to reality… or rather this really weird dream. Your eyes opening to take in a crowd that was watching you utterly transfixed.

No one was screaming.

No one was running.

They were all watching you with wide eyes. All of them. Including Mettaton, Sans, and Koppel who were standing off stage. You turned to them with a raised eyebrow while you continued to play. Whatever you were doing, it was working. Mettaton’s surprised look softened though gave no hint as to why everyone was staring at you like this. He stepped forward. Approaching you slowly until he was looking you right in the eye and his lips parting to say whatever it was that was on his mind.

“ _Wake up._ ”

Your eyes snapped open and you took in the worried face of Mettaton as he leaned over you while gently holding your shoulders. It took you a moment to realize that you were no longer trapped in the really weird dream but back in your bedroom. The draining feeling from the dream still very real as you caught the form of Hoppity standing off to the side behind his boss. “Well, I’ll be… this is certainly interestin’.” 

“Oh, thank the stars, you woke up. Sweetheart, I need you to take a deep breath and calm yourself down.” Mettaton’s voice was steady and his gaze never wavered from yours. Hoppity’s on the other hand would occasionally look off in a random direction around you. What was going on? “Gorgeous, you need to listen to me.” At that moment, both of the monsters’ eyes shot down to your chest only to quickly glance up again.

Just what the hell was going on? You were calm. Calmer than you have ever been in your life now that you thought about it. The only thing that you found was a problem was that you were starting to feel very tired because of the draining feeling that was still happening. When both monsters looked in the same direction on your chest again you couldn’t help but follow there eyes only to gasp in shock.

Your SOUL was glowing just under your skin with sparks flying this way and that. A calming gentle pulse was emanating from it and it was stretching out towards the other living things in the room. What was going on? This had never happened before. Why was it doing this and how could you stop it? The purple heart flared up at your mounting panic and Mettaton was quick to pull your attention back to him. “Beautiful, everything is fine. Whatever it is you are trying to calm has been calmed. You are home safe. Everyone is safe and happy. There is nothing to worry about.” 

At his words, it was as though he was talking directly to your SOUL. The pulsing hitched until it settled down. Stopping completely. It faded back within your body and you felt the draining stop as well. Suddenly, your body tensed. Whatever you SOUL was doing coming back to hit you tenfold as your body practically began to scream at you with an endless dull ache. Air became a luxury that your lungs seemed to never get enough of as you panted hard to catch your breath. It felt as though you had just ran 6 marathons in a row and your body was making it known that it was not happy.

Mettaton moved so that his arms were wrapped around you instead of holding your shoulders. “That’s it… I know this probably sucks but I can assure you that you’ll be fine.” He gently held you to him and you couldn’t stop the violent trembling that had begun to start.

“What’s… what’s going on? What’s happening to me? What WAS that?” You slowly signed to the robot despite your body’s protests. Confusion clouding what was left of your mind that wasn’t registering your body hating you right now.

He let out a soft chuckle and absently stroked a comforting hand through your hair. “It’s alright, Songbird. This is a natural response when you’ve expended so much of yourself so fast. You’re lucky that I noticed it and came in here to wake you up or this would have had a rather grim outcome.”

Expended? Grim outcome? Natural? “Just what exactly was I doing?!” Oh how you wished that you could actually scream right now. Just for the satisfaction of the noise.

“Sweetheart, you were using magic.”


	89. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting last week and updating Stay instead but I was not in a good place. Writing is an outlet for me and that is exactly what Stay is for. At least for me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! :D
> 
> words: 3324
> 
> Forgot that was a thing I was doing.

“Magic?”

“That’s right, sweetheart.” 

“I was using magic?”

“Couldn’ hav been anythin else, Birdy.”

“Am I really awake right now?” You signed to the two monsters before unnecessarily pinching your cheek. A dull painful ache was still making itself known throughout your body but had diminished tremendously due to the monster food that Hoppity had made for you. It was a good thing the rabbit monster had taken to leaving some things he liked in your fridge for the days he was over. You did feel a little bad for having to use it though. You knew how much he loved this carrot juice.

“Now, now, you are in enough pain. You don’t need to be doing that.” Mettaton caught your hand and gently pulled it away from your face before offering you the glass you had been sipping on. “Finish this, please.”

You stuck your tongue out at the robot but obliged. Chugging the magical liquid and wondering what happens when it disappears before going all the way down your throat. Hoppity had another at the ready but you gave it a look of disgust. The one you had just downed was the third you have drank in a half hour. It may have disappeared but the full feeling was actually a thing and if you drank any more you were going to burst. As to what you were going to burst when there really isn’t anything in your stomach, you had no idea. You didn’t want to find out though. “This day is just getting weirder and weirder…” Your hands signed after you set the glass onto the coffee table.

“You’re telling me. I didn’t even know that humans still had magic. I’m glad I was able to sense what was going on before you used anymore. Speaking of… how did you use so much so fast, sweetheart? You let out an immense wave that seemed to just disappear and I doubt myself, Hoppity, and the fish darlings absorbed the massive amount that you expended at once.” Mettaton readjusted on the couch so that you could rest your head against his shoulder. Sometime during the week you had been absent he got an upgrade and had Alphys remove the big shoulder pads for ones that were significantly smaller. The sound from La Fea Mas Bella on the TV filled the room with mindless noise as you pondered his words. How had you used so much magic if it only affects the people nearby? The fish probably didn’t take anything at all. Mettaton and Hoppity would take more but not nearly as much that the robot had said that you had used. Where did it go?

Shrugging absently, you watched the TV for a few moments when Hoppity came back into the room with a new glass filled with a familiar multicolored concoction. “Maybe this’ll help? You haven’t had it in a while.” The purple rabbit looked hopeful but you were to full to drink anything else. Plus the presence of the SOUL shake had jogged your memory of some words that a certain skeleton had mentioned to you in that weird dream.

“Mettaton, could you give Sans a call? I think this is something that he should know about.” You eyed the rainbow swirling concoction before giving Hoppity an appreciative smile. He was trying to help you feel better and you knew it. Thankfully, he wasn’t going Papyrus overboard. Despite that, you weren’t going to be touching the liquid just yet.

“That… would probably be a good idea, beautiful. He would definitely have more insight to this than either of us.” Mettaton simply stated as he rested his head on the back of the couch. The only hint as to what he was doing was a small confirmation sound when he received Sans’s response. “He’ll be here in a few minutes. I guess he was helping Alphys with a class.”

You nodded your head before settling back into your usual comfy spot while sitting on Mettaton’s lap. Pointedly ignoring the small squeeing sound that Hoppity was making in the next room over and refusing to give into the fact that he basically had a real life telenovella going on in front of him right now. Sure, you both had been a little affectionate in front of others but not to this extent. Most of the cuddling was done behind closed doors. You could sense his shipping gaze on the back of your head. “So… it’s nice to see you again. How have you been?” You’ll admit that you felt kind of awkward. This was not how you were expecting to talk to Mettaton again. Maybe having him stop over while you were home or you meeting at his place and just talking, not falling asleep only to somehow put yourself in a life threatening situation.

He chuckled at your attempt at small talk but decided to take mercy on you. “Oh, I’ve been doing alright. Kept myself busy and all that.” the robot said, smiling slightly before reaching a hand up and lightly booping your nose. “I can see that you’ve been keeping yourself busy as well.” You playfully rolled your eyes at that. Earning another chuckle from him. “Well, this isn’t exactly how I wanted to have this talk but this is still better than nothing.” He paused to straighten up and clear his throat. Hoppity taking the hint from the other room and you heard the purple rabbit monster head out to the backyard. “Please accept the most sincerest apologies for my actions. I was being overly emotional and did not take your feelings into account. I am really proud of you for having the courage to announce our relationship and it makes my SOUL fill with happiness at the thought. But even though I am worried about you, I should not have reacted in such a negative way. Will you please do me the honor of accepting the apology of this stupid monster?”

The way Mettaton spoke was as if you were a contestant on his game show and you couldn’t help the smile that made it’s way onto your face at his antics. To be honest, you had forgiven him a while ago. His reaction was reasonable and it was because he was worried about the attention that you would gain for it before the trial. It made sense. However if he was going to beg then you might as well have some fun and play along. “That is rather tempting…” you began to sign to him as though you were debating it when his hand shot up to stop you.

“Say no more, Darling~. Say no more.” His grin was growing as he got more into the show host roll. Seeming to know that you were going to playfully give him a hard time about this. “Might I also add that to make it up to you, not only will I be at your beck and call for whenever you need it, I have also planned a trip to someplace that you have wanted to go but haven’t had a chance to go too.”

Ooooooo, a personal slave and a trip? The last time you had a personal slave for a day had been Alphys’s retribution for her truth or dare game in Germany so that definitely peeked your interest. The ghost idol knew you to well. Still. You weren’t going to let him off that easy. Though you were pretty sure he already knew that and was just doing this to play around anyway. So you continued with your pondering look as if you were weighing the pros and cons in your head for a few seconds before raising your hands to speak. “Where are we going?”

“Mmmmm where’s the fun in just telling?” Mettaton said in a playful singsong voice. So you responded by thinking about it for a moment.

“Paris?”

“Hm… Nope, though I wouldn’t mind going with you sometime.”

You thought back to all the places that you have wanted to go but haven’t been able to go too. Needless to say it was a lot but there was one that you had shared with Mettaton. Though the trip had ended differently than it had originally been planned. It was the only one that made sense though you wouldn’t mind going elsewhere too. “Is it… the Underground?”

The ghost robot’s lips stretched into a broad grin as he sang out. “Ding Ding Ding~ That is correct, beautiful.” He leaned in to nuzzle your forehead before continuing. “With all this trial stuff bogging us down, I figured it would be a good thing to just… get out of the spotlight for a few days. Everything has just been highly stressful and I think a break would do us both some good.”

“Wouldn’t it look bad if we just disappeared?” You weren’t going to deny the fact that you were kind of excited to actually go and see the place where he and several of your friends grew up but… With you both being under close watch by the media wouldn’t it look bad if you both just vanished? Then again, it wasn’t like you were the ones that were under scrutiny. So long as you showed up when they required it then you were fine. Whereas some of the anti-monster humans were out on bail but aren’t allowed to leave the state without a good reason for fear of getting a warrant on themselves.

“Only if we were gone for a very long time and didn’t show up. They won’t bat an eye if we are gone for a few days. The reporters may be a little mad because their primary source of entertainment won’t be as easily found but that’s about it.” Mettaton stated with a simple shrug. As if being away from the studio during this stressful time didn’t bother him in the slightest. Which would be a huge lie. BP could handle himself but it was only natural that the robot star would worry about the state of things. Everything got a lot more complicated since the trial was announced.

Ah, why not? You were excited and it would be a good break. “Alright, alright, you win. But only if you back off on the monster drinks and SOUL shake for now. Unless you want to have messy exploded human bits all over your newly polished body.” You signed to him feeling a tiny bit nauseated from just looking at the two new drinks sitting on your coffee table.

“aww… he just wanted to make sure you _polished_ off what you started.” the voice of a certain skeleton monster cut in as he popped into existence right in the middle of your living room. Unfortunately, his good natured pun had the opposite effect on you as you felt your stomach lurch at the idea of drinking something else. “whoa, whoa, I thought that you could _stomach_ my awesome puns.”

You let out a silent groan and buried your face into Mettaton’s shoulder as the robot tried to resist from chuckling at your amusing interaction. Only to fail horribly. Traitor. “Sans, as amusing as your puns are right now. Please show my poor Songbird some mercy. She isn’t exactly feeling well at the moment.”

“so your text said. what seems to be the problem?” He squinted his eye sockets at you as he scanned your SOUL for any anomalies. “other than being slightly dimmer than previously, it looks healthy.”

Removing your head from your boyfriend’s shoulder, you eyed the skeleton monster as you raised your hands to speak. “I am the Legendary Fartmaster. Only on the weekends though.” As soon as it registered with the monsters, the lights in Sans’s eye sockets went out and Mettaton couldn’t stop chuckling at you.

“My goodness, sweetheart. Where on earth did that come from?” His hand coming up to cover his mouth. “Also why was it so specific? Only on the weekends?” He continued to giggle behind his hand. Completely oblivious to the opposite reaction that Sans seemed to be having as you eyed your best friend’s rather shocked look that held a small hint of disbelief to it. The skeleton continued to stare at you with empty eye sockets until you snapped your fingers several times in front of his face to pull him back. That was one thing that you never truly found out. When his eye lights go out while he was being surprised or intimidating could he still see out of them? Or were the eye lights just for show when he wants it?

Sans blinked a couple of times before he fell into a more relaxed posture. Though you could tell that it was a front and that there was a bit of a strain to his ever present grin. “wow, bud. gotta say, that was pretty chidish. thanks for being honest.” You rolled your eyes at him which earned you a chuckle. Though just like his smile it was strained. “care to tell me where you learned that?”

“From the Sans in my dream. Well, the most recent weird dream. He said to put a little less determination in the SOUL shake?” Once again, when your words registered to the skeleton his eye lights went out. Seriously, how could he see without them? “It really was a weird dream. Unlike all the others, I could actually interact. Normally, I’m just reliving the same moment over and over again. This one went way over the top!”

“...how so?”

You couldn’t stop yourself from signing as you regaled the weird dream from earlier. Mettaton’s giggling finally slowing to a stop as he paid attention to your hands as well. You told them how Sans had caught Koppel this time instead of Mettaton, the brief scrape on your arm from the bullet nearly missing you entirely, you interacting with both Sans and Mettaton yet they had no idea what you were talking about despite being your dream’s creations. Then you told them about the dream’s darker turn. You attempting to kill yourself to leave, Koppel using that as a distraction to fire into the crowd, the riot… The more you explained, the more you realized just how messed up this dream really had been.

All of the monsters had gone quite during your silent rendition, even Hoppity had popped back in from the backyard to sit on the floor and listen. Your hands slowed as you got to the part where you scrambled to think of some way to stop the people from hurting themselves. “Beautiful? This dream definitely doesn’t sound like the best but what happened next?” Mettaton’s voice made you jump as you had forgotten that you were sitting in his lap while you were telling everyone about your dream.

“Well, I grabbed my violin and just started playing. It normally calms me down so I tried to reach everyone else.” Your hands stated as you ended on a shrug. Mettaton’s eyes narrowing in thought at your words. “I poured my entire being into that performance. At least it felt that way.”

“What happened, birdie?” Hoppity had his head in his hands, leaned forward, with his elbows on your coffee table. Sans still stood stock still beside the purple monster.

You couldn’t stop the slight shudder that went down your spine. “It worked. Though it was kind of creepy? Everyone was just staring at me like I was the most interesting thing on the planet. It was almost like I had turned everyone into mindless zombies.”

At this, Mettaton looked over to Sans who was looking slightly confused about all of the information that you just relayed. “Darling, did you know that I had to wake up my little Songbird here because she was using such a large amount of magic that she would have drained herself entirely if I hadn’t stopped her?”

The skeleton’s eye sockets grew wide. “she used magic?”

“Yes and quite a bit of it too. There was a massive wave that seemed to disappear into thin air then a steady pulse as though to keep anything nearby calm. I must admit that it was the most calm and relaxed I had been in my entire life but it was terrifying at the same time to witness Songbird overexert herself like that.” the robot idol leaned back casually on your couch and let out a slightly frustrated sigh. “The worst part is… I have no idea where all that magic could have gone! It was just… poof!”

“is that why there are so many empty glasses out here?”

“Yeah, we were tryin’ to replenish her magic supply with monster food.” Hoppity stated matter-of-factly from the floor.

“So… any ideas as to why she is even able to use magic at all?” Mettaton asked in a pondering tone. “As from what I have seen, she is the only one.”

“hmm… she isn’t the only one. frisk has magic too… but” Sans straightened up as he grabbed the SOUL shake Hoppity had made off the table and gave it a scrutinizing look. “both the kid and her are the only two humans to be so closely involved with monsters. frisk eats monster food everyday and our bud here not only eats it frequently but is also receiving magic directly to her SOUL on a frequent basis as a method of treatment. the extended exposure may have very well pulled out a deep hidden ability that has been cut off due to generations of humans not being exposed to magic. all that it needed to show itself was a highly stressful situation.”

Now it was your turn to blink in surprise. “So… are you saying that me using magic will be a common thing now?”

Sans shrugged. “maybe. maybe not. the SOUL shake may be the catalyst that connects you to your magic and once you stop taking it, the magic disappears too. or. it became unlocked and you’ll have to learn to control the magic you have so that we don’t have such a scare, like the one metts stopped earlier. i do know one thing for certain though.”

“What’s that, darling?”

“i definitely need to adjust the determination levels in the SOUL shake.”


	90. Halloween 2017 pt 1

“YO PUUUUUNNNKKKK!”

With the grace of a badger, you dropped to the ground and rolled to the left as Undyne flew above your head in her attempt at tackling you into a hug. Judging by the surprised look on her face, she was pretty impressed that you had managed to avoid her. To be honest, you were pretty impressed too. Now if only your evasion maneuver hadn’t made you roll into the large pile of candy you had been sorting through. The chocolate and gummi pile were now combined. Gumballs and jawbreakers mixed together into a painful trap. The cookies… crushed. All that work… destroyed because of your own body mass. A true tragedy.

Frisk wasn’t going to be happy.

Nor was MK for that matter.

Papyrus would probably forgive you.

“DUDE! Nice moves. Didn’t know that you could move like that!” Undyne called from the porch that she had landed on. The poor railing reduced to splinters from the fish woman’s impact. Now Toriel was going to be pissed too. So far you were going three out of four. How many people were you going to unintentionally piss off on this lovely Halloween evening?

You rolled off the crushed spoils and arched an eyebrow at the monster with a dead pan expression. If she had planned on tackling you that hard then you were glad that you had been able to get out of the way. Even if it was at the cost of the delicious treats that Frisk and MK had just finished begging for. Eh, you would just go buy a couple of bags of Halloween candy on discount tomorrow. They won’t even notice the difference. “Thanks… I think? I have a good teacher.” You signed up to the fish monster who puffed out her chest proudly.

“Hell yeah, you do!” She stood up from the rubble and hopped down onto the Dreemurr family’s front yard. It’s occupants currently off to another street to reap the glorious candy rewards of trick or treating. You wouldn’t be surprised if they trick or treated every single house in Ebott with the young human’s determination and at the rate they were going… it was probably going to happen. This recent drop off was the fifth one so far. Just how were the two kids and Papyrus going to eat all of this candy? You could add some of it to the amount you were supposed to be giving trick or treater’s and still not make a dent in the pile. “Soooo… how come you aren’t dressed up?” Undyne’s words brought you back from your candy related thoughts and you gave her a shrug.

“I can say the same thing to you. Last year, you were covered in red paint acting like a ruby gem. Why aren’t you cosplaying a cute couple with Alphys? Speaking of, where is she?” Your eyes took in the monster lady’s form only to be greatly disappointed that she wasn’t wearing a costume. Knowing Alphys, she would have planned what they were both wearing months in advance so that it was made on time. So why was Undyne just wearing her usual jeans, tank top, boots, and leather jacket combo?

Undyne’s face morphed into an emotion that you couldn’t quite place. “Alphy got called into the university because SOMEBODY thought it would be funny to raid all of the labs and use the chemicals to set up pranks throughout the entire school. Some nice, others… not so nice. Actually, that’s why Sans is gone too. They are working together to de-prank the school before class is in session tomorrow. I guess one of the janitors got severely burned earlier.”

Blinking, you stood up and looked over to where Sans had originally been laying on the opposite side of the yard organizing candy. Only to see that there was a rather suspicious looking empty spot where a skeleton should be. When had he snuck off? Better yet, why hadn’t he said anything?

“SO!” Your fishy friend practically screamed into your ear as she pulled you in for a strong hug despite your earlier attempt to evade it. Noted she wasn’t trying to tackle you this time though. Which was why you had ducked out of the way in the first place. “It’s starting to get pretty dark… all the kiddies are out getting candy with their parents. That means that the night is just ready for us to TAKE IT!” She held you aloft easily in one arm as she used the other to gesture out towards the dark sky. The night about to reach the point where stars would pop up.

You followed her gaze for a moment before turning your full attention back to Undyne, who’s teeth were glistening within her broad sharp smile. Since Alphys was probably going to be at the university all night, Undyne’s original plans were probably ruined. Since Papyrus was out trick or treating with Asgore, Toriel, Flowey, Frisk and MK, you were the next choice in this case. “What did you have in mind?” you signed to her while arching a curious eyebrow. There wasn’t a lot that you could do on Halloween without having a kid or going to a party.

“Spook house.” She leaned in close so that she whispered it into your ear in an ominous tone.

“A spook house?”

“SPLENDID! That sounds like a lovely idea. Much better than this… candy sorting that Frisk somehow got us into.” Mettaton sang out as he burst in on your odd one-armed friendship hug with Undyne. His arms easily wrapping around the both of you. The Dr. Frank n Furter get up he was wearing still not failing to make you smile. For a ghost in a robot body, he pulled off the high heels and stockings rather well. Since he was a robot, he was technically rated PG despite Toriel’s earlier protests to the costume.

“Don’t you mean our totally _sweet_ job?” Your lips cracking into a big shit eating grin as both monsters groaned loudly at the pun. You had your hands up ready to sign another when Undyne caught them both in her free one.

“Oh, for the love of Asgore. Did you have to set her off?” Undyne asked with an exasperated huff causing you to silently giggle in her arm. “But anyway, I have the perfect one in mind! They just finished setting up about a week ago. So it’s their first year in running a haunted house but I heard it was fantastic. Even was able to nab a few passes for tonight despite it closing down early so that parents can take their kids out.”

“But… it’s Halloween… they could make a killing on tonight alone, darling.” Mettaton arched an eyebrow at Undyne who huffed again as she started walking off down the sidewalk with you still in her arm. Your feet no longer touching the ground. The fish monster completely set on whatever this haunted place was.

“I know, I know but this is supposed to be a year round thing. Not just Halloween. They probably figure that they’ll be able to make it up later. I mean it is set in an amusement park. Kinda have to close it down when the park closes.” Undyne stated with a shrug as you watched Mettaton lock up the Dreemurr house after hastily throwing all the candy inside. Toriel was definitely not going to be happy when she got back.

Mettaton sprinted to catch up to the fish monster who had slowed her gait so that he could catch up within a reasonable time frame. That didn’t mean there hadn’t been a sizeable distance from the time Mettaton started cleaning up while Undyne had begun walking away. If it was anyone other than Mettaton or Papyrus, they would have been out of breath after having to run in a full sprint to catch up. Thankfully, your boyfriend didn’t have those kinds of physical limitations. He caught up in no time. In heels.

Undyne continued on, opting to throw you over one of her shoulders as she led the way to the haunt with Mettaton bringing up the rear. You were going to need one of them to carry you back because with the brisk walking and the amount of time it took, there was no way you were going to be able to make the walk back. The suburbs slowly morphed into the city and the monster continued until she stopped in front of a closed amusement park.

Well it was closed until she produced the passes to the security guard and then your small group went on through with no problems. Only receiving an odd look from the guy because you were being rather compliant being thrown over someone’s shoulder. Then again this was nothing new to you. Undyne was Undyne. Nuff said. She led your little group briskly through the abandoned park. Which was a lot creepier at night… on Halloween… with no one else here…

Okay, you needed to stop psyching yourself out.

“HERE WE ARE!” Undyne proclaimed proudly, as she hefted you off of her shoulder and onto the ground. Making sure to spin you around by your shoulders once you were steady so that you can get a view of the attraction you were supposed to be going through. “It’ll definitely get your heart pumpin!”

“No.” Mettaton spoke with complete denial filling his voice as he quickly cut in before you could get a good look at the building. He waltzed in front of you and spun you back around so that you were facing your fishy friend.

“WHAT?! WHY?” said fishy friend practically growled out as she held her ground and prevented the two of you from leaving the amusement park. “What’s wrong with it?”

Seriously, what was wrong with it? You doubted that if it was a normal haunted house that Mettaton would have such a strong averse reaction to it. Afterall, normal spook houses weren’t that scary. They primarily rely on jump scares and if you knew where to look then they couldn’t scare you. Craning your neck so that you could see over the rather tall robot monster, your eyes went wide as you read the sign right above the entrance.

Fazbear’s Fright.

It was a haunted house based on Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Just who was evil enough to capitalize on the murder of 6 innocent children? To be honest, you felt kind of sick with that thought.

“What’s wrong with it? What’s WRONG with it?” Mettaton exclaimed with his voice raising. “We LIVED this haunted house! Some of us even got injured and not only that had a heart attack! Why on earth would you think that we would want to go through something like this with what has already happened?”

“Because it isn’t _real_.” Undyne’s words coming out as more of a hiss than anything. “Do you think that, with what you two have already been through, a normal haunted house would even phase you? At least, this may actually get you to jump! They don’t even have any animatronics in there!”

She had a point. Plus, if there was nothing in there than all it was, was spooky props in a pizzeria set up. That couldn’t be to bad. “Let’s give it a go, Mettaton.” You signed up to the robot who wasn’t looking the least bit convinced with Undyne’s words. “Since there isn’t anyone here and there are no animatronics, it shouldn’t be that bad.”

He glanced at you to read your hands but returned his gaze back to Undyne for a few moments. The air growing heavy with how tense it was. Not a lot of people could hold a stare down with Undyne without giving in to her intimidating aura. Mettaton’s one visible eye narrowed before he let out an exaggerated huff. “Fine. We can go. But if it’s to much-”

“We get out of there like a bat out of hell.” You signed to the robot monster, earning a nod of approval.

“ALRIGHT! THEN LET’S DO THIS!” Undyne’s grin was back in full force now that the brief argument has been resolved. She really did bounce back fast. With a renewed vigor to her step, the fish monster put a hand on Mettaton’s shoulder and yours. She spun you both around and pushed you into the building. “TIME TO GET SCARED!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not updating in like... 3 weeks. Between work, being sick, and visiting my Grandmother this has been put on the back burner. Anyway, happy Halloween! You'll get the next part soon ^ ^


	91. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to alternate the halloween chapters, normal, and underswap ones until the two side stories are done. So normal chapter today :D

“well, it looks like that turned out alright. s’good to know that i didn’t have to dunk on the shiny tin can.”

You arched your eyebrow at your best friend as he went about mixing things and doing equations for the experiment he was running in front of you. Alphys was in the other lab teaching her class and if you listened closely, you could hear her speak through the rather dense walls of the university. Knowing full well that the skeleton wouldn’t have done anything to Mettaton without being 100% sure with you first. “You? Dunking on someone? Since when did the lazybones get so proactive?” Your fingers danced across the mac laptop before hitting the play button so that the computer could speak for you. It’s robot voice was even worse than the one that your phone app used which made it a lot more fun to play with.

The skeleton chuckled at the robotic voice before slowly turning his skull to give you a side glance. “true. but this bag o’ bones is known to step up when need be. i got yo back fam.” Towards the end of the sentence, he turned to you fully while moving to hit his chest two times with his fist then flashed you the peace sign. The entire gesture sending you into a small silent giggle fit.

“Where on earth did you learn that?” Your hands flowing with the sign language as soon as you were able. Though to be honest, you had a small idea. Countless popular movies and TV shows have that gesture put into it. Especially if it was within the last 40 years. It wouldn’t surprise you if a few hadn’t made their way into the dump underground.

Sans simply shrugged. “i don’t know. must’ve picked it up along the way. though i think frisk had somethin to do with it.” That didn’t surprise you in the least. You learned rather fast that the small ambassador loved teaching urban trends to their monster friends. Whether it was common hand gestures like the peace sign to a rather long explanation about the popularity of fidget spinners, they were more than happy to help their friends acclimate to the odd social trends of humans. Some grasping it a bit better than others. With that said, Sans turned back to the white board and wrote out a complicated algorithm that you doubt you would have any idea in deciphering. “mmmm… this might do the trick…”

“Y’know, you never did explain why you wanted me at the university today other than it was something magic related.” The lovely mac said for you after you typed it out. No point in getting him to constantly turn around when you could play with an electronic voice. “Natalie really wanted to come over and meet you guys. After all, she has only met your brother and Mettaton.” Which was pretty good since Mettaton was one of the hardest of the monsters to meet due to his insane schedule anyway but still. You really wanted your new human friends to meet your monster ones. They would probably get along rather well.

“this should work…” the skeleton mumbled to himself before heading away from the whiteboard and down to the table that was filled with all the glass sciency doodads, that would put Dr. Frankenstein’s lab to shame, on it. He picked up a glowing vial and set to work while answering your question. “well, i figured it would be a good idea to have you spend the day learning how to control your magic while we waited to see if there would be any immediate side effects from the changed SOUL shake formula i’m working on. with that being said… so… buddy…did you have to bring the fish with you?” he nodded his skull to the fish bowl that was sitting next to you on the desk with all of the babies swimming happily in their temporary new home.

That’s kind of what you figured would happen today. So you brought them along to have them checked out. Despite the fact that they were hit with a rather large dose of human magic, they appeared to be just fine but you weren’t about to put the lives of the little darlings at risk just because they appeared fine. That was a common problem with most humans. If it looked fine then you could ignore it until it becomes a problem.

Not on your watch.

You gave him a definitive nod. “It’s been thousands of years since humans had magic and I don’t know anything about it. Anything could happen and I will not put my babies in danger just because they weren’t initially harmed.” Then you narrowed your eyes at Sans. Watching as blue beads of sweat started to appear on his skull at your gaze. “You are making me question if I should keep you as their Godfather.”

He snickers. “aw, c’mon. i think i would make a good mob.” 

“You have all of the Capone-ents but you’re lacking in the worry department.” Your hands signing the pun effortlessly and you had to admit that you were rather proud of that pun. Sans was too, if his slow golf clap was any indication. It was then that you remembered something. When you had signed “I’m the legendary fartmaster. Only on the weekends though.” the other day, Sans hadn’t questioned it other than where you learned the saying. After explaining who it was, he didn’t even bother with any further questions. He just started recalibrating the formula in his head. There was no “haha. i don’t believe you.” He believed you with no other questions asked and now that you thought about it… he was trying to distract you away from that topic now with the fishies and puns. “So… why are you changing the determination levels of the SOUL shake, Sans?”

It was completely obvious that the question caught him off guard because he almost dropped the concoction he was holding. “well, you mentioned that it may be to high soooo… i figured i would adjust it.”

Yeah… that was bullshit. There was so much in the air right now that the room stank. You arched a skeptical eyebrow at your best friend. Being secretive was nothing new with Sans. He had lots of secrets. You knew this and didn’t question him about them knowing that sometimes secrets are best left secret or that he will tell you when he was ready. But this time it was different. It now directly involved you and you wanted to know why such a childish phrase helped him believe you so easily. It also kind of hurt that he was acting this way because he knew that you weren’t stupid. “Sans. Stop this right now. You know I’m not a scientist and that I know nothing about what is in my SOUL shake or how it fully works in helping my SOUL. There was no reason as to why you would believe me so easily over one specific thing in that concoction when there was no guarantee that I would know that it was in there in the first place.” the sweat on his skull started to accumulate until he gave in and used his lab coat to wipe his brow. “So either be honest with me or just say you can’t explain it right now because it kind of hurts that you are treating me like someone that can just be talked down to and easily distracted.” A tense pause followed after you dropped your hands back into your lap as the skeleton mulled over your words. You could see that he regretted what he had said a few moments prior with the way that his shoulders slouched and his eye lights shrunk to look at you guiltily. Though to be fair… you could be easily distracted but when it was serious you could keep focused just as well as anyone else. You’ve proven that on several occasions.

Time stretched on with the only sounds coming from the ticking clock and the experiment behind your monster friend. You kept your hands resting in your lap as you patiently waited for Sans to decide if he would tell you now or not. You would prefer now but sometimes it was better to wait. So long as he said he would try that would be good enough. After a few minutes of internal debate he heaved a big sigh and straightened up from his slouched posture to look you straight in the eye. “’m… sorry. i didn’t mean to talk down to ya. that wasn’t my intention.”

You nodded, assuming as much. For whatever reason, he was trying to distract you in an attempt to protect you. At least, that’s what normally happens. He really did shoulder a lot of responsibility on his own and you doubted that you were the only one to notice. Maybe that’s why Papyrus got on Sans’s case all the time about ‘laziness’. Their banter could sometimes go on for hours and act as a break for the smaller skeleton. Now that you thought about it their brotherly dynamic began to make a lot more sense. You gestured for him to continue and he heaved another sigh.

“’m not gonna go into full detail but… back in the underground we had this… unique issue when frisk first fell.” Sans sat the new SOUL shake to the side and moved so that he was leaning up against a part of the table that didn’t have expensive equipment on it. “as i said a couple days ago… you and frisk have been the two humans that are constantly surrounded by monsters. not long after they fell, i began to notice a serious sense of deja vu. i would be at my sentry station one moment talking to them about something then time would skip and we would be at the beginning of the conversation again. once or twice… it happens y’know? similar situations spark that kind of feeling because you experienced it before. but this… became a lot more frequent.”

“so i started keeping track. even before frisk fell, alphys and i had been working on a machine to look into the possibility of other universes. yet… some things happened and i stopped being a scientist to work elsewhere. that’s a story for another time.” Sans stated as he held up a boney hand to silence yours as they rose to ask a question. “needless to say as the skips back and forth kept happening, i noticed that the kid knew things that… quite frankly they shouldn’t. answers to puzzles, muted reactions to jokes as if they went through the conversation before… little things like that.”

“i decided it was high time i developed a password system to help me determine if the kid is a time traveler or not, by using silly sayings. some of them had additions onto them and pending on what the kid told me i would know if they were truly messing with time or if it was just a series of really lucky happen stances.” Sans paused for a moment to see if you were still following along and you know you had a rather enraptured look on your face. After all there was a possibility that Frisk, a child, had time manipulating powers. Of course, you were paying attention! “so… in short, the sans in your ‘dream’ gave you a code word. a specific code word. no other way to know about it other than talking to an alternate or previous version of myself.”

“What did ‘I’m the legendary fartmaster. Only on the weekends though’ mean then?” you signed to the skeleton. Pretending to ignore the tug of a smile on your lips at the fact that Sans had used something as ridiculous as that to figure out if someone was time traveling or not. 

“meant you were either jumpin’ in time or universes but not fully. just your consciousness.” He answers while tapping the side of his skull for emphasis. “from the sounds of those dreams it makes me believe that you were using the extra determination in your system to pop over to other timelines while you slept. with this new version of the drink, i think it would be safe to say that you won’t be having those nightmares anymore. unless it is of your own mind’s doing.”

Other timelines? You were using the magic within your system combined with this… determination to basically possess an alternate version of yourself? Then that last dream where you took over… Your eyes widened in realization. If those dreams were some kind of real alternate universe/timeline thing… then you almost killed yourself in front of your boyfriend, best friend, and thousands of audience members.

Good God, no wonder they were looking at you like you had gone insane.

You shivered unintentionally and tried to rub the goosebumps on your arms away. Sans’s eye lights softened in concern. Your reaction guiding his own thought process as to what you were currently thinking about. “yeah… you probably gave them quite the scare. though that was the first time you have ever been in control right?” Your head nodded in response as your mind took a few more moments to wrap around the fact that you basically almost made an alternate version of yourself commit suicide. If the Sans in that timeline hadn’t of been as fast as he had with separating the gun from you, who knew what would have happened after that? It was just to horrible to think about. “well, as i said, it shouldn’t happen again with this new mixture. so why don’t you go ahead and try it out and then we can start figuring out how your magic works.”

The skeleton stopped leaning up against the table and grabbed what he was working on before offering it to you. It looked just like the old one with the only difference was that there was significantly less red in the constant swirl of rainbow colors. There was still some in it, just not nearly as much. Knowing that the next month or so you were probably going to be a guinea pig until he found the correct formula that didn’t have your mind traversing timelines in your sleep, you downed the mixture without any complaint. If it made it so that you weren’t reliving that horrible day over and over then you would gladly drink as many of these SOUL shakes as you needed.

“so… tell me about your dream again. don’t leave a single detail out. i want to know emotions, feelings, absolutely everything that you could possibly remember when you were on that stage and everythin’ was going to hell. hopefully, something will give me a hint as to when you started to use magic and from there we can possibly get you to use it again.” Sans said as he took the empty beaker from you and placed it in a nearby sink. He moved over so that he was on the opposite end of the table with the fish. His eyelights scanning the little things with a trained eye but his attention was still primarily on you.

Everything, huh? That wouldn’t be to hard considering you could remember almost every detail. It was way to vivid and it was haunting. So despite the fact that you’ve had to tell it over and over, you retold the dream only this time you didn’t leave a single detail out. The fear, the wanting to help but feeling helpless, just willing the others to calm with the sound of your music… Though you were rather curious as to why he would need to know the emotions that you felt during that time. They didn’t make that much of a difference, did they? Once you finished the retelling, you rose your hands for a final question. “Why did you want to know about my thoughts and emotions?”

Sans was looking at the fish again with his brow bones furrowed in thought. “magic is all about intent. i could chuck a bone at you right now and since i don’t want to hurt you it wouldn’t. but if i truly felt like i wanted to then it would and depending on how much i wanted to decides on how much i would actually damage you… within reason. it’s not like i can kill you in one hit. though i might have been able to when we first met because your SOUL was so frail.” He moved to pace in front of you and your eyes followed him as he continued on. “with that in mind, the moment you started to feel drained was when your magic was unleashed. from what mettaton said the other day, instead of your magic forming a weapon and dissipating, it tended to linger. like a mist. what i want you to do is try and do what you did on stage.”

“What do you mean?” You signed to the skeleton slightly confused. There wasn’t really a way that you could do what you did on stage because you didn’t have your violin with you. Plus there was no need to calm people. It was just you, Sans, and the fish. Your boney friend seemed to reach the same conclusion and a mischievous glint formed on his face. He opened the door to the lab while beckoning you to follow and he led you both to the door on the other side of the hallway where Alphys was teaching her class. Your eyes narrowed at the skeleton monster in suspicion. Just what was he planning?

Unfortunately, you didn’t have to wait long. His left eye lit up and immediately there were cries of surprise erupting from the people within the classroom. Books and papers flew by with a blue glow within the room while Alphys was trying to maintain order of her class. Students dodged under desks, a couple others tried to escape the room but there was a blue glow on the doorknob preventing them from leaving. The only other thing you could hear over the cries of the students was Alphys repeatedly saying “God dammit Sans!” Even though you were slightly concerned for everyone within, you couldn’t help your lips form a small grin at how ridiculous this looked.

“m’kay. looks like alphys could use some help. everyone is trying to _book_ it out of there.” Sans stated as a book just so happened to fly by the window on the door and despite everything you silently giggled. “think you could help ‘er out by calming everyone down?”

You shook your head at the hilarity of it all. “Sans. I don’t know how I triggered it in the first place.” Your hands signed to him as your grin grew and grew.

“sure, ya do. only thing difference here is there is no life or death situation and you aren’t playing the violin.” The ever present grin on his face was significantly bigger as he continued to cause chaos in the classroom. “close your eyes and concentrate.”

Rolling your eyes, you gave him a smirk then closed them as directed. What was it that you had done in the dream? Everyone had been running and people were getting hurt. You really just wanted them to calm down so that they could leave without further hurting others. In this case, there wasn’t any real danger. Sans would never intentionally hurt anyone inside that room. Alphys knew that too… but the students didn’t. So in a way there was a partial chance of danger because there were humans in the room and humans can do stupid, scary things when trapped. Their actions could hurt others or themselves. Just like before on the stage, you wanted to them to calm down but didn’t have the direct means to do so.

Taking a deep breath, you felt your goal come into your mind. Calm the students before they hurt someone when they didn’t need too. With that thought, you tried to look into yourself. To try and find whatever it was that had allowed you to use magic in the first place. The cries inside escalated and you wanted to open your eyes to see what exactly Sans was doing to elicit that kind of response but you kept them closed as you continued to concentrate.

They were scared. That much was certain but they didn’t need to be. Everything was going to be okay. Everything was alright. You heard their cries and you just wanted to reach them. It was okay! There was nothing to be afraid of. Calm down.

Calm…

Down…

It was as though a flood gate had opened somewhere within you as you SOUL responded to your adamant will to reach out and calm the others. The draining sensation slowly began to make it’s presence known but you ignored it to keep up your will absolute. After all, Alphys was in there and you didn’t want her to accidentally get hurt because of her students’ actions. If only you could reach them… You had to reach them… 

A loud distinct smacking sound of something heavy hitting glass broke your concentration and the draining feeling immediately stopped as your eyes snapped open. Alphys was in the door’s window. Her eyes wide in curiosity and it was all you could see because she blocked the entire window. Though apparently whatever you had just done worked. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE KIDDING ABOUT THAT!”

“see? told ya, you knew how to do it. you even managed to stop yourself this time too.” Sans’s grin practically took up his entire face and you knew why. He just used magic on a classroom of random humans and monsters to prank them and because Alphys was now distracted with your new magic abilities he was going to get away with it. The only thing you could do was shake your head. A slight feeling of exhaustion began to settle on your body due to the sudden use of magic.

A nap sounded really good right about now.

The blue glow on the doorknob released and Alphys fell face first into the hallway as the only thing keeping the door closed vanished. She didn’t let it stop her though. The little yellow monster was in your face talking a mile a minute with no hint at stopping anytime soon and there was no way that you were going to be able to keep up. A few of the students were peeking out of the doorway to the classroom, confused as to what exactly happened and what was going on now.

All you could do was shake your head and let out a sigh with a grin. This really was your life now wasn’t it?


	92. Halloween 2017 pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know... It's almost Christmas. Life has been crazy busy! On that note, I'm sorry for the hiatus and because life is the way it is currently... I won't be doing anymore holiday chapter specials for this story. Because at this point that is all I would be doing and planning for.... so yeah. Enjoy some Halloween in December! :D

“Okay… I will admit it. This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Mettaton stated as he wondered around the spooky attraction behind you while you stared straight ahead at an immobile Freddy suit that had a light set up in the head. The thing looked just like the one from your childhood that you had encountered during your test of courage… only it wasn’t the same thing. This one looked like it had been cleaned up before they had decided to position it on the wall with lights to freak out anyone walking by and the hand was still there. The one that had attacked you had one of its arms ripped off by the Mettabae when it wouldn’t let you go. Then again, there was probably lots of spare parts. The new owners of these relics could have just had it replaced.

Somehow that was more unsettling than the fact that someone was trying to make money off of the horrible tragedies that had occurred. Probably because you knew that the kids killed hadn’t passed on. Their SOULs had taken to possessing the animatronic characters and you didn’t know why. If someone had taken the machines just to prop them up on display…

Okay, if you continued that line of thought you were going to be sick.

“See? I told ya! You didn’t have anything to worry about.” Undyne bellowed out from behind and you somehow managed to not jump out of your skin at the sudden outburst. You were really impressing yourself on your reflexes today. Normally, you would have launched yourself into Mettaton’s arms already. 

Giving the fish monster an annoyed sidelong look, you turned back to the Freddy suit as the clicking of Mettaton’s heels grew closer behind you. “What have you found, sweetheart?”

“Looks like a bear… GAH… what was that one’s name…” Undyne’s voice trailed off in thought but Mettaton was quick to reply.

“Freddy.” You watched as his one visible eye trailed down the propped up animatronic to where the missing hand should be. “The one that the franchise is named after.”

“I still can’t believe that people went to this place. SERIOUSLY! That thing is creepy!” Undyne came up on your side that Mettaton wasn’t on and gestured to the Freddy suit. “How did kids even like them?”

You caught her extended arm and tapped it with your fingers indigently to get her attention before signing. “Hey, hey. Do not diss the Fazbear crew. They were loved in the hearts of children around the world for a small bit. To us, this was state of the art technology. There has yet been ANYONE to make a proper animatronic.” Before you even dropped your hands, you realized just who you were standing with in the middle of a fake haunted pizzeria attraction. The girlfriend of a scientific monster genius who specialized in robotics and your monster boyfriend whose android-like body was made by said monster girlfriend. Well, now you felt kind of stupid. Their gazes confirmed your own thoughts as you huffed out air and clarified. “Human. There has yet been any HUMAN to make a proper animatronic since.”

Taking this opportunity, you turned back to look at the Freddy suit. Standing on your tip toes to try and see inside the mouth. Maybe it was just an empty suit with no endoskeleton? There had been a few pieces in the spare parts room from the brief recollection you had during your panic filled visit. If it was just the costume, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? You placed your hands on the suit’s shoulders and heaved yourself up while placing your feet on the back wall. Your head now level with the immobile animatronic’s mouth. Now if only you could have Undyne or Mettaton do something about the light-

“ _Hello._ ”

You silently shrieked at the childlike voice that filled the entire room and launched yourself away from the propped up Freddy suit. Only for gravity to kick in and you started to fall due to the fact you had been holding yourself up against the wall. Thankfully, you didn’t have to worry to much about your current predicament. Long arms wrapped around your descending form seconds before you managed to make contact with the floor. You were then lifted until you felt a familiar chest plate being pressed against your back, looking as though you were being cuddled like a teddy bear.

“What was that? I thought we were supposed to be the only ones here?” Mettaton’s eyes were narrowed at the third person in your small group as Undyne’s single eye narrowed. Her ponytail swished around as the fish monster tried to pinpoint where the voice had originally come from.

“We are… I haven’t noticed movement from anyone other than us. So that could be a timed reaction thing, someone is hiding scarily well, or some teenagers snuck in and triggered something?” Undyne’s voice was steady as she eyed something high up on the far wall. The boon that almost all monsters gained from being trapped underground for thousands of years was the fact that most could see almost perfectly in the dark. So whereas you had to squint to see what she was looking at, Undyne was able to see the hidden security camera hanging from the ceiling perfectly. “Maybe someone hadn’t left yet and is just playing around in the security room?”

“There’s a security room?” You signed to Undyne when she turned to face the two of you again with your interest peeked. Despite not wanting to admit it, whoever put this place together knew what they were doing. The haunted house definitely had the Fazbear’s Pizzeria feel to it. Black and white checkered tile floors lined all of the halls that you have been in so far. Posters, children’s drawings, and other decor of the bygone era filled the walls along with some scary things to try and spook anyone coming in. They did seem to go a bit overboard with the animatronic parts though. Someone had placed them in several of the corners with lights inside as though they were jack-o-lanterns. You still weren’t sure how you really felt about that.

Undyne nodded her head. “Yeah, it was supposed to be designed to look just like the old pizzeria and that includes the security room. To be honest, you would probably know this layout more than I should if that’s the case.” 

You rolled your eyes at her but you couldn’t deny her words. The layout was scarily familiar to your old childhood stomping grounds. Still… you had to know. All of this stuff looked to authentic to be handmade props. That Freddy suit wouldn’t have been able to hold your entire weight if it had been made with cleverly painted wood. Meaning whomever put this place together had either gone all out in having it made… or it was real. “So… is all of this stuff made up?… Or did they actually get this stuff from somewhere?”

Your eyes trailed up to look at Mettaton’s face as best you could with the current way he was holding you. Those simple questions were loaded with hidden meaning and Mettaton eyed you with a look that confirmed he knew what you were hinting at.

Was any of this stuff taken from the pizzeria you had been trapped in until 6am? Were the children whose souls had taken to possessing the animatronics now here as a prop or even holed up somewhere? Undyne had said there wasn’t anything roaming the attraction but that didn’t mean that they didn’t have them put up somewhere to add in later. You didn’t want to think about it but at the same time you really had to know. Those kids had been through enough as it was…

“A little bit of both. A lot of it is authentic though. Someone went around to the old businesses and bought a crap ton of the stuff trying to find the real things. I do know they tried to buy the lot that you held your test of courage at awhile ago but someone had already claimed it and refused to let them take it.” Undyne shrugged nonchalantly as she trailed a little ways away further into the attraction with Mettaton following after.

At those words, you visibly relaxed as you let out a breath that you hadn’t realized you had been holding. That meant that the kids couldn’t be locked in a room somewhere. Although, wandering a broken down pizzeria building may not be much better… at least they weren’t on display for people to just look at. It did make you wonder who owned the land the old pizzeria was on though. Whoever it was, you kind of wanted to give them a medal. Even if, they didn’t know why.

“Darling, how is it that you know about all of this? All of this sounds like some really sensitive information that only direct employees of management of the establishment would know about. Also where exactly are you going?” Mettaton’s voice echoed as he put you down so that you could follow along at your own pace. Undyne headed into the next room and you followed along only to take the lead into the next hallway when she stopped to take a look around.

The fish monster shrugged at the monster idol’s accusation and continued to scan the new room. “I may have been on board with helping this place get up and running… before the uh… test of courage incident.”

“What the hell? Why would you even condone this kind of place?” Mettaton practically hissed at Undyne. It seemed that he wasn’t about to let the fact you almost died on a dare go anytime soon. At this rate, you were going to have to play mediator the entire night.

Lovely.

“Because nothing even happened when Alphys and I went through it! We literally sat in the security room all night and nothing even moved!” Undyne glared at Mettaton and stepped up until she was almost chest to chest with him. “We set everything up the same way we set it up for you too! The only difference here is that we didn’t have a human with us!” She then gestured to you as you pretended to ignore their spat while eyeing some creepy drawings on the wall. “Do you honestly think I would put not only someone you love very much but is also a very close friend of mine in immediate danger like that?”

“Well, no… at least not to that extent. Some of your pranks can go a bit to far. But it DID happen and-”

“I’M SORRY, OKAY?! How many times do I have to say it?” Undyne cut him off as she bellowed her apology at him. “It happened. It sucked. You all lived. I apologized. We moved on. You are the only one holding it over my head. I mean look at her. She doesn’t even care anymore!” Once again, she gestures to you and you kind of wave awkwardly at the two of them before going back to being immersed in the drawings. Why were there so many pictures of crying children on here? They also look to be drawn by the same child. What happened to them? Undyne went back to her impressive rant about letting it go. One that Elsa would be rather proud of. 

You rolled your eyes and then stopped.A blue glow off to the side in the next room caught your attention and you slowly crept towards it while pulling out your phone. If this place was going off of the layout of your pizzeria, then the next room would be the security room. You stopped just outside the doorway. Phone in hand. The glow to the room got brighter as you had approached. The only sound you could hear was Undyne and Mettaton’s bickering back in the other room. Once again, you cursed your inability to speak to get their attention, instead opting to text your boyfriend so that you don’t alert whatever it was in the next room. You sent the text and sidled up against the wall so that you weren’t standing in the middle of the hallway.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**   
**Hey. Hey. Something isn’t right over here.**

“OKAY! I get it Undy- oh?” Mettaton cut off his rebuttal as a rather cutesy ringtone chimed out from within his chassis somewhere. You watched as he read the message and his head shot up to try and find out where you are. The glowing in the other room was growing and there was another ominous… low growl emitting from that vicinity now that the two monsters weren’t bickering anymore. When Mettaton’s eyes landed on you, he sighed in relief. “Sweetheart, what are you doing over there by yoursel-” His voice caught in his throat as his one visible eye widened. Undyne whirled around to see what would cause such a shocked reaction from the robot idol only to freeze mid-spin. You arched an eyebrow at them and it seemed to snap Mettaton out of his stupor. “Gorgeous, could… could you do me a favor?” His hands were raised as though he was readying to grab you but you were to far away, even for his extendable arms. Before you could even respond, you felt it.

Something snagged the back of your shirt and within seconds you were airborne with a silent scream. Whatever was behind you dragging you into the security office whether you liked it or not. The only other thing you could register was Mettaton’s startled, yet slightly angered, cry and a distinct whirring noise that followed as the hallway nearby the two monsters was suddenly awash in light.

Nothing was in here? Yeah right.

“RRRAAAAAAA! COME BACK HERE WITH OUR HUMAN!” Spears sailed out from the floor at Undyne’s feral yell and they followed your entire journey into the security room that did differentiate from the one in the pizzeria you had went too. There was never a giant window sectioning off the room from the hallway. Undyne’s aim was close but she never managed to hit the thing holding you. Yet to her credit, you were never in any danger from her magic projectiles. Her control was over her own magic was impressive. Now if only you weren’t in a life threatening situation that could allow you to think more on that.

You were whipped around the corner while bracing yourself to face whatever it was that this thing was taking you to. Your eyes snapped closed and you were brought to an abrupt halt now waiting for your imminent demise. Please let it be quick. Being shoved into that golden Freddy suit hadn’t been fun in the slightest.

“hey there, bud. you look _chilled to the bone_ there.”

Your eyes snapped open to see a certain skeleton that was supposed to be de-pranking a university right now sitting in the security office chair while wearing a security guard outfit to match. His left eye was alight in an eerie blue glow with the smuggest grin you have ever seen on him plastered to his skull. You felt your body being lowered back to the ground and the thing that held your shirt floated out from behind once you were steady. The giant dragon skull immediately flying forward to boop it’s snout to the top of your head.

It took you a moment to process everything but you didn’t have much more than that as both Undyne and Mettaton barreled into the room armed to the teeth. Looking ready to pulverize anything that had done you harm. Sans just swiveled a little in his chair to greet them with the same grin. “oh hey, look who decided to drop in. it’s really _in-spear-ational_ that the head of the royal guard and mettaton would come to my humble office this late at night. on halloween no less.”

“What… the hell…” Undyne lowered the spear she held with a dumbfounded look on her face that even you found amusing. You weren’t the only one if Sans’s chuckles in front of you were any indication. All of the spears disappeared not long after and the stout skeleton sent the blaster back to wherever it goes to when it wasn’t in this plane of existence. Now that you had been given a moment to realize what was going on, your body relaxed. Somehow you managed to resist the urge to whap your best friend on the side of his skull for the scare. “Dude, what are you even doing here? I thought you were with Alphys at the university right now?!” Undyne’s voice slowly raised as she spoke. Her anger was still there but now that you weren’t in any danger it had diminished significantly.

“what? never seen a guy with a part time job before?” Sans’s deep voice filled the silence of the security room as his chuckles deepened. “seriously, undyne. i manned like four or five sentry stations under your guard. besides… i disarmed all of the dangerous ones.”

“So you just left her there to finish the rest by herself?” The fish woman deadpanned. She brought a hand to her temple and began to rub it as though she was getting a serious headache. “Dammit, Sans.” The skeleton’s chuckles formed into a full laugh at her reaction. He seemed to be enjoying this a tad to much.

“what? it’s not like little friendo here was in any danger. what’s the fun of a spook house with no jumpscares?” Sans’s grin somehow grew even wider and you were debating on whether to slap him upside the head again.

“Sans.” Mettaton said as he strutted forward with a neutral demeanor that you have never seen on his person before. The other monster’s laughter died down as he eyed the robot idol with mirth. “I’m going to kill you.”

And that’s when all chaos broke loose.


	93. Halloween 2017 pt 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goal is to at least have this Halloween thing done before Christmas ^ ^;

“STOP TELEPORTING AWAY YOU LITTLE HEATHEN!” There was a loud crash as Mettaton landed in the hallway, taking out the shelf of extra animatronic parts in the process in his attempt to get at Sans. Several bones went flying by and you ducked behind Undyne even further to avoid any collateral damage. The fish monster didn’t seem to mind as a few bones hit her arms and stomach. Bouncing off as though they were nerf darts instead of magic bullets that could hurt if they wanted too. You knew that there wasn’t any ill intent behind the weapons. So they more than likely wouldn’t hurt you but… meh. Today was one of those days you just didn’t want to put up with that kind of thing.

The entire security room was trashed due to the two monster’s antics. Not that you could really tell. It was kind of a mess when you got here. You weren’t sure if it was supposed to look that way or it was because Sans was the security guard. Regardless the last ten minutes have been a rather amusing game of cat and mouse between the two monsters as Undyne and you watched from the sidelines. Perfectly content to watch Mettaton’s attempts at trying to kill the skeleton. You probably could have stopped them both but again… meh. Sans kind of deserved it.

There was another loud crash from the next room over and you stepped out from behind Undyne now that you were a safe distance from being an added casualty. “nooooo. i’m not _freddy_ to diiieeee.”

Oh, it looks like Mettaton finally caught the skeleton.

“Well, this officially became a bust. C’mon. Let’s go home. I bet Toriel and the kids are there waiting for us anyway.” Undyne stated as she followed the now debris filled hallway towards the original entrance to the haunt. Not even batting an eye at what the other two are doing. You began to follow with no complaint. The security room was the end of the tour meaning you had seen everything this place had to offer. Sans was right that it probably would have been better with some actors ready to jump scare you but at the same time you probably would have punched the poor person in the face on impulse. That or Mettaton would have. This place rang a bit to close to home.

You followed Undyne into the other room and the other two monsters were nowhere to be seen. So either they had dragged their fight into another room or they had just walked out. There wasn’t any dust on the floor so neither of them were dead. That’s a plus. Sometimes their joke fights would get a little to extreme. It didn’t matter how much control they had over their magic, eventually one of them was going to be hurt. Unfortunately, you hoped it would be Mettaton. At least his limbs were re-attachable. You weren’t sure if Sans could detach his limbs or not. Hmmmm.. now that was a good question to ask…

A heavy hand fell onto your shoulder and you couldn’t help but smirk at the lame attempt to scare you again. The timing was just poor after all. Also it was kind of hard to top what Sans had done just a moment earlier. So the fact that he was trying again was just silly. He had better comedic timing than that.

**XXX-XXX-XXXX**   
**Sans. Nice try. You just pranked me. This isn’t going to work.**

There was three notification sounds that sprung up in front of you as the monsters received your group text. Undyne stopped to read hers and Mettaton’s head popped in further down the hallway with Sans’s following after. Sweat was beading down the skeleton’s skull because of all the teleporting he had done moments prior. “uh… bud… hate to break it to you but that isn’t me.” You tensed and the heavy hand on your shoulder increased it’s grip to a painful degree causing you to wince. Sans had just scared you and from the look on his skull… he wasn’t lying. Also he wouldn’t physically hurt you for a prank. At least, not intentionally. Your fight or flight response kicked in before logical thought did and you did the only thing you could think of to get away. 

Flail like crazy.

Your arms whipped around and tried to pry the hand off your shoulder as the sound of mechanical creaking reached your ears with the rancid smell of something rotting following not long after. The hand itself was probably supposed to be a yellowish/gold color but the years had not been kind. It now had a sickly yellowish/green tone and the texture was so disgusting it made you shudder. During your attempt at getting away, you had turned around and you got a full look of your attacker.

It was an animatronic. Yet, it was one that you had never seen before. The design looked eerily familiar to Bonnie’s but this one appeared to be significantly older. Pieces were falling off and in some places all you could see was the rusted metal endoskeleton yet… it looked like there was something else between the pieces? You couldn’t really make it out in the darkness of the haunt but at the same time you didn’t really care. All you wanted was for the thing to release your shoulder before it ripped your arm off.

“SONGBIRD!” Mettaton’s yell cut in through your panicked haze just as several blue glowing spears flew by your form and into the animatronic. It was sent flying backwards and you let out a silent pained cry as the hand was forcefully ripped off your shoulder to follow the rest of it. The fingers leaving deep scratches that would no doubt bruise. Heavens, you knew it was already bleeding. The only reason you weren’t following was that Mettaton had somehow gotten a hold of your waist before the spears had struck. 

You really liked this shirt too.

Undyne barreled past after the thing with Sans appearing out of thin air not to far behind. Mettaton held you close with one arm while the other had morphed into a cannon and was being directed at the bunny animatronic.Though it was kind of overkill since it was currently pinned against the hallway wall with bones and spears. It wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. The fish monster held a spear in her hand as she approached the animatronic with Sans flanking her from behind. “They told me they didn’t have any here…” Her voice was just above a whisper yet you all managed to hear what she said. “WHEN and WHERE did they get this?!”

Clutching your shoulder, you moved out of Mettaton’s protective arms and approached the animatronic as well. The robot idol following with his aim never moving from his intended target. “This wasn’t one of the ones we’ve encountered before. Sweetheart, do you recognize it?”

You shook your head with no other comment as you continued to stare it down. The older design reminded you of the golden Freddy in the spare parts room. Maybe they were a set? You took a breath and noticed that it was getting harder to breathe. Which was ridiculous because there was no way that the four of you had breathed enough to cause a problem in this open space. “Is anyone else having trouble breathing or is it just me?” you signed to the rest of your group after clapping to get their attention.

“Now that you mention it…” Undyne’s gills flared as she tried to breathe properly but you could tell by the way her chest moved that she was struggling too. “What is going on?”

“wait a moment… i thought they were kidding about that.” Sans disappeared but his magic remained to keep the animatronic from moving. A few moments passed then a loud ringing alarm went off from the direction of the security room. You didn’t even glance at Mettaton before the two of you shot off in the direction towards the flashing red light. On the other side of the glass, Sans was sitting behind a computer terminal looking mildly worried until the alarm finally cut off and you could feel the shift in the air as the vents performed their intended purpose.

“Okay, okay! Who designs a theme park attraction with ventilation that randomly kicks off? That’s a safety hazard!” Mettaton stated as you realized that you probably should wrap your shoulder with something. It wasn’t a lot of blood but it was a minor inconvenience.

“Uh.. Guys?” Undyne called from back in the hallway with the trapped animatronic. She was the only one who had remained to keep an eye on it.

“What is it, darling?”

“The bunny thing kind of just… vanished.”

“WHAT?!” Mettaton darted back towards Undyne, leaving you in the windowed hallway looking into the security room.

Without missing a beat, you banged your fist on the glass until Sans was looking at you with wide eye sockets. “Can you teleport?” your hands flowed with the sign language feeling desperation beginning to hit you like a freight train.

Not again.

You were not going to go through all of this again.

The stout skeleton snorted but you could see how taut the smile he wore was. He was more stressed about the situation than he was letting on. “course i can. you saw me do it a second ago.”

“Can you leave the haunt though?”

He blinked as he realized just what you wanted him to do. The reason why you had been trapped was because the SOULs of the children had used their magic to keep you from leaving and it faded at 6am. Sans had been the one to find that out when he had tried to teleport out but had been trapped. Your best friend closed his eyes and you waited for him to vanish before your eyes. His form looked as though it was going transparent… then he was solid again. “so… uh… remember when i said i could teleport?”

There was a loud bang as your forehead hit the glass of the window. How? There was only one of them this time. It had taken all of the SOULs at the pizzeria to keep you trapped. How could one animatronic trap you here?

“IT’S IN THE VENT!” Undyne bellowed from somewhere in the building and you could hear the loud muffled thunking of something crawling in the vent above. Your eyes darted around, trying to find a vent but the only one you saw was the one above the security desk.

Frantically, you banged your hands on the glass because you knew there was no way that Sans would have heard Undyne’s yell from his position. “SANS! THE VENT! GET AWAY FROM THE VENT!” your arms blurred from the fast motions as you desperately tried to relay the information to him before something bad happened.

“vent?” Sans’s eye lights shot towards where you were gesturing just as the animatronic launched itself at him from the vent near the ceiling. He managed to do a short teleport out of the way as he tried to hold the thing with his blue magic. His left eye was flaring but the animatronic was still moving. “what… what the hell?”

His eye darted around as if it was trying to lock on something but couldn’t. You hit the glass again to try and get the animatronic’s attention away from your friend because it seemed as though it was attracted to noise. After all it only came to the security office after that alarm had went off. Sans gave up with whatever he was originally trying to do and instead trapped it in a cage of bones. You ran into the room reaching out to grip the sleeve of his hoodie to get him to know that you were there. “i… i can’t use my blue magic on it.”

What? He could levitate normal objects with ease. Same with monsters and people. What made this animatronic so different? With the golden bunny once again on lock down, you timidly approached it. Your eyes aiming for the mouth just like you had tried to do with the Freddy suit earlier in the night.

The only thing they would find of you is your eyes and teeth.

It opened it’s maw a little wider and you let out a gasp while backing up in revulsion. There was a head inside. Someone was inside this animatronic suit!

Your entire body trembled at the realization and it took everything you had to not throw up right then and there. The candy you had stolen from Frisk, MK, and Papyrus’s loot rolled around uncomfortably in your stomach. Threatening to come up at any moment. “Sans… there is someone in there…” you managed to sign out though you weren’t sure if he saw it. Your eyes were unable to look away from the abomination of human engineering in front of you.

“there’s more than one in there…” Sans’s voice was low. A truly haunted look was on his face as he also refused to look away from the animatronic. You were going to ask him to elaborate but you didn’t need to as he continued without prompting. “SOULs… there are so many lost SOULs trapped within… remember that joke book i showed you awhile back?”

“The one that had the quantum physics book on the inside with a joke book inside that and the cycle repeated?”

He nodded before turning his attention back to the cage of bones. “yeah… this thing is kind of like that… you probably have trouble seeing it but it’s an animatronic with a human inside with an endoskeleton inside the human. not to mention all of the SOULs… young ones too… just how many children did this thing kill?”

You were completely trembling at this point as you both watched the thing disappear from the cage before your eyes. The same way Freddy had teleported into the security room during your test of courage. “Is… is that why you can’t use blue magic on it?” The cage disappeared as you signed and you could hear the running gait of the other two monsters as they made their way back to the security room.

“yeah… there are to many to focus on. i’d drain my magic just trying to keep it in place let alone lift it. that thing… it’s a murderer.” Sans turned his full gaze at you and your stomach dropped.

“You don’t think-”

“i think that thing is what killed those kids in the pizzeria.” The stout skeleton held his eye lights level with you for a moment before turning back to the computer monitor again. “what the- the ventilation is out again? who designed this building? this isn’t just a safety hazard, it’s a fire hazard.”

“GUYS! We can’t find it. The thing crawled into the vent and we checked the other rooms and-” Undyne was cut off when she finally saw the haunted look on both of your faces. “What happened?”

“the vent it was in came out here in the office. it also seems that we are trapped in here until the barrier magic it wields wears off.” Sans stated in his normal tone as you moved to sit in his rolling chair. All of this new information being to overwhelming for you to process at the moment.

“Seriously?” Mettaton let out an angered huff before gesturing to the entire room. “We are seriously doing this AGAIN! Did you try teleporting out?”

“yup.”

“Did it work?”

“nope.”

“So what do we do then?” Undyne asked. Her singular eye watching all of your dark expressions. Normally, she was the one who was in the lead with things like this because she was the captain of the royal guard. She was the experienced one. Not in this case. This time the three of you were the veterans and she was wondering what was going through your minds.

“we wait it out. there is only one of them this time. i think between the four of us we can handle one murderous animatronic.” You almost rolled your eyes at the fact that he included you in that count. Knowing full well you couldn’t do much other than be a distraction or possibly be able to save your own hide if the situation called for it. You couldn’t summon bone cages, spears, teleport, or had android-like strength to keep the thing at bay. So instead you did the one thing you know you could do.

“I call the rolly chair and first watch on the cameras.” You signed before kicking the chair over by the computer terminal to bring up the cameras to see where the bunny hopped off too.

“noooooo but i just got the butt indent just right.” Sans whined next to you while giving you a gentle playful shove.

“I don’t see your name on it.”

“the butt indent IS the signature.”

You purposely make yourself comfortable by smooshing your own butt in the chair in front of him. “Can’t tell looks like you need more practice lazing about.”

“hey, i take offense to that.”

“This is going to be a long night isn’t it?” Undyne stated as she watched you and Sans bicker about the chair while she stood off to the side by the entrance with Mettaton who had opted to sit on the floor.

“Oh, darling… you have no idea.”


	94. Halloween 2017 pt 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HALLOWEEN SPECIAL END!
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN!...... and Merry Christmas XD

“ _Hello._ ” You hit the audio cue and watched as the camera fizzled into static for a second only to show that the golden animatronic was no longer in that room but the room you had lured it to. It was extremely creepy that you were currently luring the dead haunted animatronic, that more than likely killed several children, room to room with the aid of a child’s voice recording. There was something very VERY wrong with this picture. What you mainly wanted to know was why was that an option? You’ve never heard it before yet it had to pertain to Freddy Fazbear’s in some way. They wouldn’t have installed it otherwise. Seriously, who would be scared of a child’s voice unless cued at a strategic time?

Somehow, you managed to not send a glare at Sans who was currently sitting on the floor next to the desk. He was the one who told you what that button did. Because of this, you toyed with the button and noticed that your theory that the animatronic is attracted to sound was correct. Thanks to this tactic you had accidentally stumbled upon, it has saved you from having to deal with the thing directly for a couple hours. The only real problem that caused was that Undyne appeared to be really bored.

She stood at the entrance to the security room from the hallway looking as though she was about to fall asleep. Though you knew if something came from that direction it would be taken care of immediately. The fish monster was trained well and was always on alert. Even when she was sleepy. You returned your gaze back to the cameras while fighting back a yawn yourself. Without really looking, you picked a room and sent an audio cue so that you could lean back in the chair and stretch. Your eyes watering from the lack of sleep and having to stare at the cameras for so long.

2 am.

That was the time your phone was showing you but you were just wishing that it was 6am already. This thing must have a lot of vengeful humans within it to keep you all here by it’s lonesome. If it really had more than the ones at the pizzeria then couldn’t it keep you trapped here for longer? Or was there something about 6am that causes the magic to fizzle out? 

Idly, you flipped to another camera and froze in your seat. There… on the screen… was a decrepit looking animatronic. One you have seen because the head was propped up a few times throughout the attraction. It was the animatronic of a small human boy that had red cheeks and a striped propeller hat. The thing probably looked slightly cute at one time but this one was the thing of nightmares. So there was actually more than one animatronic running around? Where did it come from? Why was it just now showing itself? This night was getting more complicated by the minute.

Just as you flipped the cameras down to tell the others the news, the boy animatronic launched itself at you from where it stood behind the monitor and you kicked the rolly chair back with a silent shriek in an attempt to get away. It disappeared from your vision as the alarm for the ventilation went off and the security room was cast into an ominous red from the flashing warning light. 

“whoa, whoa, kid! where’s the fire?” Sans stood up from his seated position. Your sudden movement jarring your friends into action. They all looked at you with worried gazes as you clutched your chest while trying to frantically calm yourself down. The lack of oxygen becoming more and more apparent with your breathing becoming more labored. Seriously, who built this place?

Mettaton moved from his position by the vent to flip over to the other console, hitting the button so that the ventilation and other systems could reset themselves. “Sweetheart? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Yeah, punk. There isn’t anything here. What was that reaction about?” Undyne had her back turned to the hallway and you frantically pointed behind her at the newest golden addition sneaking up behind her. She didn’t even flinch as a wall of spears formed in the doorway preventing the one physical animatronic from getting into the room. Well, that was one way to stop it from getting in.

The ventilation kicked back on and the alarm turned itself off. You gulped down the sweet cool air as if it was a luxury you only got once a year and, judging by the way Undyne’s gills flared, you weren’t the only one. “No one else saw the other animatronic in this room?” You signed to the others once you had taken a few moments to calm down from the jumpscare. 

“What animatronic? The bunny one just vanished again.” Mettaton stated when he glanced towards Undyne and her wall of spears. Sure enough, the golden bunny had vanished and the hallway was vacant once again. 

“There was another one. I saw it in the cameras and when I went to tell you all about it-” You were cut off as Undyne straightened up with her eyes trained on the long window letting you all see into the hallway.

“Guys… is that who I think it is?” The fish monster said as everyone’s eyes followed in the same direction as hers. Yours went wide. Outside in the hallway was a Freddy animatronic. It was shambling along as though it had taken a lot of damage though it did have both of it’s arms. All of you watched it’s slow journey down the hallway until it seemed to drop out of sight. Waiting for it to pop around the corner any minute… 

Only for it to never come. Undyne removed her wall of spears and peered around the corner ready to take it out if need be. “It just disappeared! There is nothing here!” She barreled back into the room while pointing to the hallway. “I was not the only one that just saw that was I? I am not going insane!”

While all of this had been going on, Sans had taken over watching the cameras. He suddenly jumped back with his left eye a blaze with magic. Frantically, his eyelights searched around for something that wasn’t there and it appeared as though something dawned on him at the same time. “illusion magic…”

“What was that?” the fish monster demanded as everyone’s attention was turned to the slight display of magic and away from your immediate surroundings.

“illusion magic. look this thing is a lot more powerful than the animatronics at the pizzeria by a long shot. i was wondering what else it was going to be able to do other than trap us here with barrier magic.” Sans stopped speaking when he realized that he seemed to be rambling and that he had lost you all. So he cleared his nonexistent throat before starting over. “there are a lot of different SOULs trapped within this one metal shell meaning it should be able to use different types of magic. which it already proved with the barrier magic and it teleporting around. now it is creating apparitions of the other animatronics to trick us up.”

“So that Freddy in the hallway wasn’t real and whatever you two saw in the cameras isn’t either?” Mettaton asked with an arched brow. Sans just nodded his skull and the ghost robot let out a sigh. “Looks like we are going to be in for an interesting night.”

“No kidding…” You signed before moving to take over the cameras again. So there was only one real animatronic in the entire building. The rest were just a trick created with magic. You could do this. There was a way around the bunny by using the audio cues so there had to be a way around these apparitions.

“Undyne, I blame you for this.” Mettaton said as he idly picked dirt out of his nails while still in his sitting position on the floor.

“That’s fair.” The fish woman shrugged in response as she kept her guarding position at the security entrance to the hallway. All in all, everything had gone surprisingly well so far. This was significantly easier than having to deal with four animatronics at once. Especially since you had Undyne guarding the hallway and Mettaton watching the vent. Sans is kind of there as back up since his primary way of dealing with the animatronic kind of didn’t work.

Oh look who was in the vent again.

You hit the table with your fist twice and Mettaton stood up without a word and eyed the vent suspiciously. “I still can’t believe we are doing this again. Sans, is it really powerful enough to keep us trapped here until 6am? I mean there is only the one-”

“with about five times the amount of SOUL power that the other animatronics had. We discussed this. have you not seen the illusions for the past few hours?” the skeleton piped up just as the golden bunny popped its head out of the vent.

“Hmm.” The robot idol effortlessly reached up and grabbed the animatronic from the vent and carried it over to Undyne who shoved it out into the hallway and made a wall of spears so that it couldn’t come back in. After a few failed attempts it disappeared and you reset the ventilation because more than likely it had gone out again. You were seriously doubting whoever set up this place. It was 4am already and you had to reset the ventilation system at least fifteen times. How on earth was this place going to run if no one was in it to reboot the systems? Someone was gonna die in a fire otherwise.

Letting out a silent groan as you began tracking the animatronic’s movements again. The repetitiveness of the entire thing was starting to get to you and you kind of wished you could just go home. There had to be something you could do about the golden bunny though. There was no way that this thing could be allowed to wander freely if it was actively trying to kill people. That wasn’t the only worrying thing. Just how did it acquire so many SOULs?

“yo, buddo. wanna tap out? i can take the last couple of hours.” Sans lightly tapped your shoulder as he spoke and there really wasn’t any reason for you to decline his request. After all, this was his job and you kind of have been doing it all night for him. So you shrugged and stood up allowing for your skeletal friend to take over.

“AAAAAAAGGGHHH! THIS IS SO BORING!” Undyne screamed making everyone in the room jump at the same time. “Noted, this is not how I expected my night to go but I was at least expecting to be home by now! Not spend the entire night stuck in a security office!”

“Welcome to Fazbear’s Fright. Where the people come in but they don’t come out.” You signed as you got yourself comfortable on the floor.

“Also to be fair, darling, there is only one of them this time. Last time we had four with doors that kept opening because of the faulty wiring in that place. Imagine that WITH illusion magic.” Mettaton moved to sit next to you and you heard him suck in a breath. “Gorgeous, have you even bothered to treat your shoulder?” Oh right, you were injured. With those old metal claws, you probably had a date with another tetanus shot the first chance you got. Again. Just like last time. That was going to be oodles of fun. In response, you shook your head and your boyfriend went about the office looking for a first aid kit. “First the deadly animatronic, then the ventilation… if they don’t have a first aid kit in here, I am going to go after whoever set this place up.”

“I’ll help ya with that.” Undyne said before she ran down the hallway and you watched as she punched the golden bunny back into the previous room. Well that was one way to get rid of some aggression.

After digging deep into the desk’s drawers, Mettaton made a sound of victory as he produced a first aid kit. “Alright, sweetheart, this will probably hurt but I would rather treat it now than wait until we get back to Toriel’s. Infections are still a pain. Even with healing magic.”

“wait, didn’t ya help with the start up, undyne?” Sans asked when she walked back into the room looking a lot better for staying up all night in a place like this.

She shrugged. “I was basically a sponsor. I gave them some start up money. I didn’t design it. I didn’t build it and I sure as hell didn’t put one of those things in here. As I said before, punk, I sponsored this before all that crazy shit that happened when you guys went. There was no way I would have sponsored it after that.” Undyne ran a hand through her red locks and let out an exasperated sigh. “The only reason we were here was because there wasn’t supposed to be one of those things. It would have been a simple walk through then we would have gone back home. Instead, we are stuck here and it is kinda my fault but at the same time completely unintentionally.”

Okay, you could give her that. She was just as surprised as you were when the animatronic made itself known. You brought up your phone and glanced at the clock. Letting out a sigh of relief.

5:50 am

This was going a lot faster than the last time you had done this. Then again you were safe the majority of the time and not hiding from killer animatronics under tables. Though the lack of adrenaline probably had something to do with it. “There! That looks much better now~” Mettaton sang out before being called away to deal with the vent again. You eyed his handiwork and noted that he had somehow drawn a heart on the cloth bandage he had used.

Aw. That’s so sweet.

The pain had long ago dulled to a low pulsing ache so it was pretty easy to ignore. You rested your head against the wall behind you while counting down the minutes until the magic would let you all go home. Stomping your foot on the floor, you got the monsters’ attention. “We have to do something. This thing can’t be allowed to wander the halls with other people around. It attacked me. It attacked Sans. It’s only a matter of time before it attacks someone else. It’ll kill again too. It’s just a matter of when.”

“Songbird is right. We can’t in good conscious just leave that thing here.” Mettaton moved to sit next to you again and you leaned your head onto his shoulder. “We can easily manage this but if it was just one human…”

“They would be pretty hard pressed to keep it at bay. Plus who would want to escape death the rest of the night? That does not sound like something I would do for under minimum wage.” Undyne stated with her eye closed in thought. “At the same time, we can’t just take it with us. I don’t know about you but I’m not about to take a killer animatronic back to Toriel’s house were there are KIDS who could end up as possible casualties.” She was right. There was no way in hell you would allow that thing anywhere near Frisk and MK. You would not allow them to be the next victims in this thing’s murder streak.

Alarms went off as the flashing red light filled your vision. You moved over to the other console to see that all of the systems had failed without you noticing. Silently growling in annoyance, you hit the button to reset everything. Watching as the little loading bar moved back and forth over and over. You watched it for a long while. Before you know it Mettaton was letting out a happy sigh as he said “Look at that darlings~! It’s finally 6am. Let’s go home!”

You breathed short and heavy at the lack of oxygen in the room. “Guys, the systems aren’t properly rebooting.”

“what do you mean?”

“It’s been stuck on a loading screen for ten minutes! Have you seriously not been paying attention to the fact that the alarm hasn’t stopped?” You signed to the skeleton incredulously.

He shrugged in response. “to be honest, i kinda tuned it out awhile ago.”

“Guys? What’s that smell?” Undyne asked as she looked around the room looking for something. You sniffed the air in response and your nose scrunched up at the smell that reached it.

“Darling, is that smoke?” Mettaton said it as he pointed to the vent. The alarm not the only thing spurring you into action anymore.

“time to go.” you felt a hand on your shoulder and suddenly you were outside Toriel’s house. The sun was rising in the sky. It’s rays spreading across the lovely November day that was about to start.

You blinked. Your eyes adjusting to the change in brightness from the haunted house to outside. Sans disappeared and soon you were joined by Mettaton and Undyne. The two monsters carrying with them a heavy silence. One so heavy that you had to break it. “Guys? What is with those stony looks? What happened?”

“Um… let’s just say that the animatronic won’t be a problem anymore, sweetheart.” Mettaton stated with a tense smile.

“Yeah, because the entire place is up in flames. Nothing could have survived that.” Undyne responded frankly.

“The attraction is on fire?!” You signed to them with wide eyes.

“what? to be honest, i’m surprised that the place didn’t light up sooner. though the timing couldn’t have been better. there was no guarantee we could have gotten out iwth the barrier magic in effect earlier.” Sans caught the look your eye and his smile grew a little wider. “what? we called the fire department. it’s being taken care of.”

“Well, well… look who is finally home.”

Everyone froze in their positions. Slowly, you all turned around to find a livid Toriel standing on her porch. Her hands on splayed on her hips with Frisk and MK peering out from behind the angry boss monster. “Would you all mind telling me why the halls are filled with Halloween candy and that my porch railing is destroyed?” You all shared a glance with each other like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. 

“say… who wants to go back to fazbear’s fright?” Everyone’s hands shot up and you were picked up as they all made a hasty retreat away from Toriel’s house. You’ve never seen Sans move so fast since you met him.

That alone made this weird Halloween night worth it.


	95. Chapter 62

“Their cousin, Lil’ South, was the one who did it.” You signed without turning your gaze away from the crime drama on TV. They were just now wrapping up the investigation and were about to name the culprit.

“Sweetheart, I highly doubt that it was her. I mean who leaves the _bloody_ murder weapon behind? Those three are a lot smarter than that! The previous episodes about the twins proved it.” Mettaton stated swearing indignantly like a English person while gesturing with one of his hands towards the screen.

You silently snickered at the robot monster. “Nice pun. Also I’m telling you it was Lil’ South. The other two took the fall for their family member.”

“Nice pun? What about _bloody_ murder weapo-oh… Never mind.” You continued to snicker at his words while you idly stretched an arm out to snag some popcorn from the bowl that was currently resting on your stomach. Mettaton sat on the dead center of your couch while you were stretched out the entire length of it, and him, like a cat. His thighs pressing up against your back with your head propped up by three pillows and the arm rest. One would think that having metal under you back would be uncomfortable but it wasn’t that bad. You were rather content in your current position.

It was kind of nice to have a day off and just relax. Not only were you working on the new album that Mettaton had discussed but you were also getting doubled down with magic practice from Sans. Then there was the paparazzi that were still trying to get interviews… With all of that, you were beginning to feel drained. Literally and figuratively. Never would you have thought that you would experience magical drain in your life but, in your opinion, it sucked a lot worse than just being physically drained. It was a deeper… more intimate feeling of exhaustion that also messed with your muscles. Why was that even a thing? “I bet you a full day of no puns that it was Lil’ South.” Despite the fact that you were tired (heck, you woke up exhausted.), you were having fun with this bad TV day.

“My, my… that is a tempting offer my Songbird…” Mettaton leaned back further into your couch in thought. “Y’know, what? I’ll take that bet, sweetheart. If you win, I’ll let you buy as much as you can eat at either Muffet’s or Grillby’s establishment for a day.”

_Score._

Ever since you started magic practice, you have been consuming monster food more frequently because of its restorative properties. You could eat a lot more of the stuff than you used to so your boyfriend was going to be in for a surprise when you won this little bet. The narrator came back on and you both fell silent as you awaited the verdict. Time to win you some delicious food.

“Knock! Knock! Comin’ in, girlie!” The distinct voice of Natalie rang out over the television as it was accompanied by a couple of quick knocks on your already open front door. Her head popped into the living room not long after with her personal house key dangling from a chain her wrist. “Oh, Mettaton! I wasn’t expecting to see you here today.”

“Hello, Darling~.” The robot idol sang while you just raised a hand and waved at her. Your face still glued to the screen. You weren’t about to lose the bet because you didn’t catch the end of the episode.

Natalie followed both of your gazes to the TV and watched in silence as well. Her interest as to what was so important on the screen peeked. “With the jury’s decision, Lil’ South was convicted as guilty and given life without the option of parole…” The male monotonous voice droned on but you had already heard what you needed to hear.

With a silent woop, you thrust both of your fists in the air for victory as you swiftly sat up while Mettaton groaned in defeat behind you. The only reason that the bowl of popcorn wasn’t scattered across the living room was that the monster had predicted your movement and had already moved it off your stomach. He knew you a little to well at times. Meh, less for you to clean up in the long run. “Guess I owe you an all you can eat buffet, hm?”

The smirk that was currently plastered to your face grew even more ominous. “That’s two things you owe me now.” Your signed to the robot idol and not failing to see the blush that spreads across his cheeks at the mention of his earlier promise.

“Please, beautiful. Don’t remind me unless you plan on cashing that day in. I’m kind of intimidated about the ideas within that mischievous brain of yours.” He patted your head as you laid back down. The smirk still there. He better be scared of his upcoming day of slavery. You were going to have so much fun.

The other human in the room looked between the two of you, the TV, and then back again with an eyebrow raised. “This… is what you two do when you have downtime? Watch trashy TV?”

“Hey, as trash, I take offense to that.” You signed slowly to Natalie by using the ASL alphabet. She was still learning so it was easier for her to understand that way. It was so cool that she was going to such lengths to understand you. Bestest human friend ever.

“Gorgeous, you aren’t trash. My body is literally made from the mechanical garbage that humans discarded for decades.” Mettaton rolled his one visible eye at you as he spoke and you held back a snicker.

“Is that why you earned the nickname metal trashcan?” Natalie spoke from the hallway entrance and you couldn’t help the silent laughter that ensued forth from that revelation.

“I prefer SHINY trashcan. Thank you very much.” Said monster cut in above the laughter in the room making you double over in mirth.

“No wonder we get a long so well! We’re a _trashy_ couple.” You signed as soon as you were able with your smirk transformed into a full shit-eating grin.

“Goodness! Darling, look at what you started! Now she won’t stop.” Mettaton let an exasperated sigh as he playfully accused your human friend for unleashing the punster within you. “Though on the concept of my body, mind giving these to Vince for me the next chance you get, sweetheart?”

There was a distinct shuffling going on under you as Mettaton looked around his various hidden compartments until he produced some very official looking paperwork from his thigh. In lieu of having clothes his body were his pockets. So convenient. Better than an evil purse. “What’s this?” the young woman asked as she took the paperwork from the monster idol and began to look it over.

“Well, I’ve discussed this with your father a few times at length and he seemed pretty interested in becoming a human volunteer for Dr.Alphys’s Prosthetic Limb program. To summarize all the sciency and legal mumbo jumbo, he’ll get a new arm without having to pay for it.” Mettaton extended the arm nearest Natalie so that she could get a better look. “If this was made from mechanical scraps, just imagine what Alphys can make with all of the resources that the surface has at its disposal? It’ll be like a myoelectric arm prosthetic but, instead of just opening and closing, it’ll be fully functional. Each finger will be able to move at the designated joints.” He paused for a moment to make his hand do just that. His fingers waggling playfully at Natalie. “It’ll more than likely be light weight so it won’t be a hindrance and as for looks… once we get it set up she can design it to look anyway he wants. Whether he wants to keep it mechanical or if he wants it to look like a normal human arm with skin. All he has to do is show the other humans that the procedure went well and that it helped him. Once we get physical evidence that Alphys designs can help humans, the government won’t be able to deny her anymore. She’ll be able to help other humans who have lost limbs or the like.”

Natalie chuckled as she pushed Mettaton’s hand away and flipped over a page to look at the other side. “This… I, honestly, don’t see why he would say no to this. It’s a win win! Dad’ll get his arm back and you’ll get the proof to get government approval to mass produce. This… this sounds to good to be true. Will he be able to extend his arm too?”

Now it was Mettaton’s turn to chuckle while he brought his arm back and closed the compartment on his hip. “Maybe eventually as an added feature. That is if he wanted it. Though it won’t be completely like my body. My body is unique in the fact that is created with my magic in mind. Vince, more than likely, doesn’t have that.” You noticed how he had to catch himself from saying ‘wouldn’t have’. With your newly obtained magic and the new found knowledge of Frisk’s, the robot idol couldn’t rule out that all humans didn’t have magic anymore. There was a chance that Vince had it for some reason.

“Huh. Well, I’ll make sure that he gets it. Now on to something more… pressing…” Natalie folded up the paperwork neatly and stuck it into her purse before turning to look at the two of you with the most serious expression you have ever seen on her face. “You two have the world at your disposal and instead of having a day out in Paris or something… you’re sitting at home… on the couch… watching a crime show marathon… _Why?_ ”

You blinked at her before sharing a look with Mettaton and shrugging. Sure, you could travel, go to fancy restaurants, shop, whatever but you wouldn’t really consider that down time. It took work, planning, and money to do those things. Not saying that they weren’t fun to do and you definitely planned on doing those things when the idol had time. But this? Relaxing on the couch with him, watching TV, cracking bad jokes with some playful flirting thrown in… this was a great time. Mettaton smiled softly at you before he wrapped his arms around you and nuzzled his chin into the hair on the top of your head.

“True. Going to Paris does sound like fun or something equally as extravagant. Yet, as you said Natalie, darling, we can do that anytime. There is no rush. I’m just as happy here snuggling on the couch as I would traveling the world or shopping somewhere.” The nuzzling stopped only for the robot monster to gently press a kiss to your cheek that had a bright pink blush spreading across your face from the sudden tender act. “As long as I’m with my little Songbird then what we are doing doesn’t matter~.”

He moved to nuzzle into your cheek, leaving you a blushing mess. Natalie watched the monster cuddle you for a few moments with an eyebrow raised before she let out an overly dramatic yawn. “Oooooooohhh my gaaaawwwd.” the human woman drawled out before snapping her body perfectly straight and pointing at you both. “You two are boring. I was going to come hang out and maybe kidnap you to the mall but now I’m gonna go play at Papyrus’s house. Where it’s not boring and more than likely will have to stop a house fire of some sort but nevertheless… Have fun being boring.” She gave you the finger guns before she skipped out of your house closing the door behind her. Ah the lovable dork. If only your best friend spot wasn’t taken by a certain punning skeleton.

“It appears as though this boring old hunk of metal trash has you all alone again.” Mettaton purred into your neck and you couldn’t help but silently giggle at his words.

“Oh nooooo… the horror!” You signed to your boyfriend before clutching your heart melodramatically and pretended to faint in his arms. Who says you couldn’t be in one of those cheesy horror films? You got the damsel in distress act in the bag. You only began to show signs of life when the robot began to tickle your sides. “No! No tickling the human!”

The ghost robot made you squirm under his fingertips for a few more seconds before stopping the tickle torment. “She still doesn’t know that I’m taking you to the Underground in a week does she?” He resumed resting his head on top of yours and you shook your head. She didn’t know. Though it was kind of funny because she had the house key so she could house sit for the time you were gone. Natalie never asked what the reason was so you hadn’t told her. She just agreed. “Have you even started packing, beautiful? We can stay there for about two weeks. So long as we leave right then so that we don’t miss the trial.” You shook your head again since I would be hard for him to see your hands in his current position. “If you don’t start soon, it’ll be a mad scramble.”

“That’s what I did when I went to Germany. I didn’t pack until the night before.” You lifted your hands so that he could see most of what you said but the smirk was still on your face. Who packs so far ahead in advance? More than likely, you would end up unpacking a lot of it just so you could have your stuff again. It was best to pack the day or two right before.

“Okay. When are you going to tell Natalie about the trip?” Mettaton hummed into your hair as the theme for the next episode was announced on the TV. At his words, you shrugged. She was coming over again in a few days anyway. You would either tell her then or text her sometime before. The hardest part was getting her to house sit but she already agreed so that was taken care of. As long as she didn’t have a raging party at your house, you didn’t care what she did. It was a chance for Natalie to get out of the house for a few days without Vince nearby and Vince would have his house to himself. So he could do guy things… or something. This trip really was a win/win for everyone involved. The only people who are going to have problems are the paparazzi.

Unless you got a special okay from Asgore, himself, no one was allowed into the Underground. There was no way that the reporters would be able to get to you down there which will be a welcome relief from the onslaught you have been enduring. Trying to hide you had magic was hard enough from your normal friends. It was made insanely harder when there were people trying to sneak in and take pictures while you were practicing at the university. You did not want the government to find out what you can do because you knew that you would become a scientist’s guinea pig. There would be a chance that you never would see your friends again and the research the government would gain from you could possibly be used against the monsters.

It was rather morbid and you didn’t like thinking about it. Yet, it was a very real threat and you knew how humanity worked. If they found out and ghosted you away, then it would only be a matter of time until another war came about unless monsters got into the government somehow and weren’t treated like a separate sovereign entity. There was a lot riding on this trial too. It more than likely was going to be aired internationally and everyone was going to see it. For better or for worse. All you could hope was that the jury were good level headed people and that the jerks who attacked you got what they deserved.

“Sweetheart?” Mettaton’s voice cut into your thoughts and you blinked a couple times now that you were back in reality. “Are you sure I can’t help you start packing now?”

You let the ominous thoughts you had early slide into the recesses of your mind as you grinned up at the Mettabae. “Don’t worry about it. I always pack light after all.”

“If you bring a suitcase full of just flashlights, it’s going to end up in a pit of lava.” His voice was stern but you couldn’t stop the silent giggles from shaking your shoulders. He really did know you pretty well.


	96. Chapter 63

Brush, brush, brush. Where on earth did you put your stupid brush? Why couldn’t it be in the bathroom or your bedroom like it usually is? Why was nothing where it was supposed to be when you needed it the most? Taking a rather dramatic dive to the floor, you scanned the space under your bed to find the object you had been looking so hard for. Somehow it had made its way to the farthest spot under your bed next to the wall. Of course. Out of the way dust bunnies you were a human with a mission.

“Birdie.”

Brandishing the brush above your head victoriously when you pulled it out, you dashed back into the living room and tossed it atop the pile of things that you have been gathering all while sorta ignoring the purple bunny monster who had watched you from the hallway. Your hands were signing away without really paying attention to see if anyone was looking. “This should be enough, I think. We’ll probably stick to exploring but we might go somewhere fancy too. I mean, it is possible right?” Energy flowed through your veins while you paced the spot in your living room right in front of the TV. Three heads followed your journey back and forth with an annoyed scoff coming from the smallest one. Natalie chuckled at your enthusiasm with Hoppity’s deeper one joining in not long after.

“(y/n)? (yyyyyyy/nnnnnnnnnnn)!” Natalie’s voice was drowned out by your own inner thoughts as you backpedaled. Maybe you should grab the nice red shirt. I mean… it’s a nice red shirt. What if you ran into a situation where you needed to wear a nice red shirt?

“WILL YOU STOP PACING ALREADY?!” the tiny buttercup monster in the flowerpot screeched out as loud as his voice could allow. You froze mid-step and sent the mean creature a slightly annoyed look at his words. 

“Flowey. There was no need for you to yell like that.” Said flower just rolled his eyes at your words making you huff indignantly at his rude behavior. Why had you agreed to watch this guy anyway?

Oh yeah, Toriel had enlisted Sans for a PTA meeting today. The new president had been elected and everyone involved needed to be present for that one. Asgore and Frisk were doing ambassador work in DC. Meaning the Dreemurr household would have been entirely empty if Flowey had been left alone. Papyrus would have taken him but he was currently visiting one of his personal training clients who had gotten injured at work or something. Basically, Papyrus was being his normal sweet self. Undyne was helping install new lab equipment at the university and of course that meant Alphys was there helping as well. Mettaton and BP were busy as always, not that they would have taken the smart mouthed flower anyway. You were the last resort. That was how you ended up watching the little jerk for the day. You haven’t forgotten how he almost killed you that one time. Though to the flower’s credit, he has been on his best behavior and you have met him on other occasions. There was an unspoken bond between Asgore and yourself about not discussing your real first interaction with the flower monster. Both of you knew that it would not go well for the little guy.

“Birdie.” it took the purple rabbit a couple more tries before you stopped giving Flowey a look and turned to him with the excited sparkle still in your eye. “yer SOUL is showin’.”

Quickly looking towards your chest, Hoppity’s words were confirmed as you saw a slightly transparent heart just underneath your skin waiting to pop out at any second. Small purple sparks flying off of it on occasion. You swiftly stopped signing and brought your hands up to hide your SOUL from the friends present with a blush of embarrassment gracing your cheeks.

Natalie’s chuckles turned into full on giggles. “Girl, you need to calm down. You still have one more day before you get to go see the home of monsters. Which, just FYI, I am still VERY jealous about.” Her eyes were on the purple sparks that were still popping out from behind your hands. The same time you told her about where you were going you also had told her about your new magical abilities. Under the oath that she say NOTHING to anyone. It would be horrible if it was leaked that you had magic. However, Natalie took everything in stride and just gushed about the pretty color that it gave off when you used it.

“You shouldn’t. It’s very boring.” Flowey rolled his eyes at your human friend and you just rolled your eyes at him. If the monster wanted to be a stick in the mud then let him. He wasn’t going to ruin your good mood.

Hoppity just chuckled at your excitement and shook his big purple head. “I wouldn’t say boring. Us monsters are jus’ used to the place is all. Kinda refreshing to see Birdie excited about it.”

“Why should anyone be excited about a place that was a literal prison for an entire civilization of people?” Once again, the flower monster tried to rain on your parade but you just ignored his words. You were not going to let him get under your skin.

“Well, you could say the same thing for places like Alcatraz or the Roman Colosseum. Lots of people lived and died in those places with lots of bad things happening. People still go to see them regardless.” Natalie shrugged as she compared the monsters’ home to ancient tourist attractions. “It isn’t so much about the bad things or the reasons why that people go to see a place. It’s the history, the uniqueness of the area, and the stories that have people wanting to see it. Take me for example. Sure I was curious about the Underground before I knew you all but I wouldn’t have minded if I never got to see it. Now that several of my new friends came from there, I am very interested to see the places where they grew up. I’m sure the same goes for (y/n).”

Natalie was right. You knew that the place was technically a prison and that countless monsters lived out their lives under the mountain and died without ever seeing daylight. But that wasn’t the reason why you wanted to go. You wanted to see the snail farm that Mettaton told you about and Snowdin! The place where Sans and Papyrus lived. Sure they were trapped under a mountain but they lived their lives like normal. There were lots of happy moments and memories that you wanted to learn about just like they wanted to learn about yours. Despite it being a prison, it was their home.

“hehehehe… AHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU ARE BOTH IDIOTS!” The flower monster wasn’t going to be deterred, however. “If you think that all monsters are nice and happy go lucky people then you are DEAD wrong. Not every monster left the Underground. Some because they simply didn’t want to move, others for darker reasons. Not all monsters LIKE humans.” Flowey zeros his gaze right onto your slightly exposed SOUL. “With your fragile SOUL, you won’t even last a day. I can’t believe how stupid the metal trashcan is being with you.”

You blinked. That was a thought that had never occurred to you. With all of the animosity that humanity gave monsters, it would be impossible to think that all of them would be accepting of humans. It was still surprising that despite losing so much to humans that Toriel and Asgore were so accepting and they had lost a lot more compared to other monsters. There was no doubt that there were monsters who had lived as long as them and decided to keep their hate for humanity alive. Just how would those monsters take to a strange human walking freely among their home? “Now, dun let the weed get to ya’, Birdie. He’s just mad he couldn’t go with Frisk to DC.” Hoppity gave the potted monster on your coffee table a stern glare. A glare that could send people running for the hills normally. 

The flower monster looked more annoyed than anything. “SHUT UP YOU PURPLE VERMIN! HE IS BEING STUPID!” Flowey spat venomously at Hoppity before thrusting one of his leaves at you. “You are a target. Not just for monsters in the Underground who are angry at humanity but for humans who completely despise monsters. That’s what this upcoming trial is all about isn’t it?” His eyes narrowed at you. “But you aren’t the only one that has a big target on their back. So does the trashcan. You both are icons for things that a lot of bad people do not like and this trial is a pinnacle point in human/monster negotiations whether you both want it to or not. Seriously, you need to THINK!”

“At least, here you are protected. You have police going by your house on a regular basis. People who care about your well being keeping an eye on you in case you disappear. Not to mention the powerful security that the resort and studio offer on their own.” He had a point. Your schedule had become normalized and you were never alone for long. You always had either one of your monster friends, Mettaton, Natalie, or actual security guards nearby. “I know you haven’t exactly advertised that you are going somewhere but you both are being watched. Closely. By friends and by enemies. What better way to stop the trial and get back at you two in one go than attack you on this spontaneous trip where you both are _vulnerable_ until you get to the Underground? Seriously, this is-HEY WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!”

“Tha’s nuff of that.” Hoppity picked up the potted monster as he stood up. “Stop trying to stress lil Birdie out. No un is going to attack her in the underground. No un would dare to try and attack before they get to the underground. It’s to… expected. Obvious. So shut yer tiny trap ‘fore I make ya.” Despite the purple rabbit’s reassuring words, you couldn’t deny that Flowey had a point. He had several good points, actually.

While hiking up the mountain, you would be at your most vulnerable. Sure Mettaton is a powerful monster in his own right but even he would have problems if you were ambushed by a crowd. Not to mention that he wouldn’t only be worrying about himself, he would be trying to protect you as well. There wouldn’t be human or monster security until you reached the underground. It would just be the two of you to face whatever comes. If the anti-monster group somehow got a hold of the information that you both were leaving for a few days then they might take that time to strike.

However, Mettaton and BP were insanely good at keeping sensitive information under wraps. They somehow kept you out of the spotlight for months before the concert. Sure there were little things that had been leaked and people speculated a lot. Yet, that’s all it was. Minor things and speculation without proof. Without any evidence, the theories grew but no one could really say they were true or not. It was all gossip. You were a curiosity but nothing more. So with all of that in mind, it was highly unlikely that the bad group knew about your little trip but there was a small chance that they did know.

You had to stop a shudder that threatened to expose your current mindset to everyone in the room. There was a lot that humans with a vendetta could do while alone in a forest with nothing but time and the people they want to hurt. Your momentary lapse of fear must have showed because the next thing you knew Hoppity was violently shaking the potted monster who was flailing his leaves to get the bunny monster to stop. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, YOU STEP UP FROM A SEWER RAT?!”

“I tol’ ya to stop stressin the Birdie out.” The purple rabbit stated simply while keeping up the unrelenting pace. Quickly, you ran forward and jumped up and down until you managed to snatch the flower pot out of Hoppity’s hands as he shook the poor monster above your head. Unintentionally keeping him out of your reach before you grabbed it. Now that the pot was safely in your hands, you watched as Flowey swayed woozily while he recovered from the shaking attack he had endured. “Awww, c’mon Birdie… he deserved tha for tryin ta mess with yer head.”

That was true but the flower monster wasn’t wrong. “Now Hoppity. There was no need for that. This was Flowey’s way of showing that he is worried for me.” You signed to the monster after shoving the pot into the crook of your elbow. All the while ignoring Natalie’s giggles at the exchange. “Wait a moment. You’re worried about me?” A huge grin spread across your face as you looked at the flower monster who now was no longer looking you in the eye and was that… was that a hint of a blush on his tiny face? Oh hell no… there was no way that this demonic flower could look that cute. Without thinking, you brought his pot up so that his head was your face level and you nuzzled into his petals while hugging the pot warmly.

“G-GAH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW! PUTMEDOWNPUTMEDOWNPUTMEDOWN-” Flowey flailed against your face though he didn’t actually hurt you, even though you knew that he could if he really wanted too. You have witnessed how terrifying he could be before which made his actions just now all the more curious.

“But you are worried about me! You’re just a tsundere at heart aren’t you?” You signed after a few more seconds of hug torture. Putting him back on the coffee table much to the flower monster’s relief.

“I AM NOT! And don’t you dare label me with that Alphys, anime, weaboo shit!” There was a hint of venom to his words but for some reason you couldn’t really take it to heart. “YOU’RE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF IDIOTS!” 

“NOW FLOWEY! WHAT HAVE WE DISCUSSED ABOUT SAYING THINGS WE DON’T MEAN?” The tall stature of Papyrus cuts into the room from the hallway and he was carrying a bag of some sort. Flowey’s petals droop at the skeleton’s words as he looks away like a chastised child.

“Hey, Paps! I thought you were going to be busy all day?” You signed to him with a smile, trying to divert all of the attention away from the flower monster on your coffee table. If there is anything that you’ve noticed is that Flowey gets more belligerent with the more attention that he has on him.

The skeleton nodded his head and the disciplinary look was replaced with his usual smile. “THAT I WAS BUT THEIR FAMILY SHOWED UP AND THERE WAS TO MANY PEOPLE IN SUCH A SMALL SPACE. I LEFT THEM WITH SOME GET WELL SPAGHETTI AND HEADED OUT SO I WOULD NOT BE IN THE WAY. AS GREAT AS I AM… I DO TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE.”

You smirked before signing without any hesitation. “I thought as a skeleton that there was nothing to you?”

“HUMAN NOOOOOOOOO! SANS IS NOT EVEN HERE!” Papyrus dropped to his knees as he cried out over dramatically in dismay, making everyone, save Flowey, chuckle at his antics.

“I know and I needed to find someone to help Natalie care for the fish babies while I was away… who else other than the great Papyrus could be up for such a task?” Somehow Papyrus’s smile grew even more than you’ve ever seen it as he launched up from the floor into a heroic pose.

“OF COURSE, DEAR FRIEND! I, THE GREAT FISH GODFATHER PAPYRUS, WILL HAPPILY AID THE LOVELY NATALIE IN THE CARE OF THE ADORABLE WATER CREATURES!” The skeleton offers a gloved hand to Natalie who was more than happy to accept. “COME! LET US GO GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE ADORABLE DEARS AND WE SHALL PLAN FOR THEIR CARE TOGETHER!” He then dashed off to your bedroom with your human friend in tow and you couldn’t help the smug smirk you had on your face.

“I’ll make sure they dun break anythin’.” Hoppity followed after them leaving just Flowey and yourself in the living room.

It was silent between the two of you. The only sounds were the joy filled ones coming from your bedroom. “You really know how to work them… don’t you?” The flower monster’s voice was small but somehow you managed to hear it.

With a smile, you turned to the potted monster. “Only after they wormed their way into my heart first.”

“Hmm… I know Hoppity was trying to reassure you but-”

“Don’t worry, Flowey. I understand.” And you did. You were still surprised that the flower monster had taken the time and effort to warn you at all. “I’ll keep an eye out. Despite my fragile SOUL… I think I’ve proven that I’m a lot harder to kill than one would think.”

Now it was Flowey’s turn to laugh and this time it did send a chill down your spine. It wasn’t even because it was creepy. It was because it wasn’t. The sound was bitter and the flower just looked tired. “That’s because of your SOUL’s primary trait and luck. A LOT of luck. Unfortunately… eventually luck will run out.”

He held his gaze level with yours and a small pit of dread started to form in your heart. Once again, the monster wasn’t wrong. That didn’t mean that you hoped that it wasn’t true.


	97. Underswap Special 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry for the unexpected hiatus but needless to say.... life hasn't been a lot of fun. Between work, classes, my grandmother passing away, and having to take care of her final wishes... I have not had as much time as I would like. Needless to say I will try to update when I can. So happy belated Easter everyone!

It was calming. The gentle sound of falling water filled your ears with white noise as you felt the dark veil of sleep begin to recede. Slowly, you lifted your head but it was an effort. Your entire body felt like lead. Heavy and aching. Silently grumbling, you dropped your head face first back to the floor. Surprised that it was some slightly damp wood instead of the dirt you had been resting on after your fall. Somehow, you had moved from your original position. Were you not alone? Had the water drifted you off somewhere? Slowly lifting your head again, you finally took in your immediate surroundings.

Before you passed out you were in a place that was full of water, waterfalls, and little islands in the water. Now large waterfalls were still nearby. They made up an entire wall of the room that you were currently in. Though now it was obscured by large piles of garbage that held some labels that you actually recognized. You were currently resting on a tiny dock right before an endless pit. Trash that wasn’t caught by the piles was slowly drifting past your still form until it reached the edge and descended into a place unknown. More than likely never to be seen again. Despite the large amount of trash that was in the area, it smelled okay. Maybe there wasn’t a lot of food thrown down?

With more effort than you would like to admit, you brought your hands under your chest and slowly pushed yourself into a seated position. At your stirring, two very noticeable creatures made their presence known. The dragon heads that you had summoned to help fend off Temmie drifted over from their resting position on a pile of trash. One hung back but the other had no qualms floating over to you and nuzzling you affectionately.

These things definitely were not normal magic attacks. Most magic dispersed after their intended purpose had been fulfilled or maybe a minute or two after. Digging around your pocket, you produced your phone and looked at the time. Your eyes went wide. Wow… you had been out for a very long time. Much longer than a simple trip down the street to Muffet’s and back should ever allot. There was no doubt that you absence has been noticed and the skeletons would be looking for you. Yet somehow the two magic attacks were still here and they were… sentient? Just what were these things that Sans had given you?

The nuzzling dragon made a noise that was almost like a whine and you realized that you had sat up but haven’t moved since. Lost in your own thoughts with a groggy mind. It looked worried and despite the fact that it was insanely powerful with an intimidating face… in this moment it looked kind of cute. That should not be a thing but it appears as though it was. Lifting a hand, you gently stroked the bone of it’s muzzle and it let out a happy sound that only made the magic weapon even cuter. Not only that but the other one saw the attention it’s buddy was getting and was now over by you pleading for pets as well. What was with this?

You petted the affection starved attacks before the vertigo of sitting upright got to you and you moved to lay back down on the dock. The coolness of the wood was soothing. Once the feeling faded, you were going to text Sans where you were so that he can come and get you… as for what goes from there? You weren’t sure. They were still working on the machine when you had left. So there was no guarantee that it was done yet. You were not looking forward to discussing Temmie with the skeletons. It was not going to go over well.

“Oh…! Are… are you oka-…….. oh my….” A faint whisper called out from behind a rather large trash pile and immediately the skulls left your side. Facing their maws towards the sound. You barely caught a glimpse of transparent pink as it dodged completely behind the trash pile.

This was not going to go well if you didn’t stop them. An innocent monster may be about to lose their life. You pushed yourself up and clapped your hands several times until the magic attacks took their attention away from the hiding monster. With a disapproving look, you beckoned them back over to you and without any sounds they did as such. Only they looked more like chastised children than deadly attacks. You lightly bop them on the nose to show that you weren’t happy with their quick to attack attitudes. Though you did appreciate how they were quick to defend. It was sweet.

They hovered near you while eyeing the trash pile the monster had hidden behind uncertainly. The only reason you knew the monster were still there was because the magic attacks seemed to sense their presence. To be honest, if two giant dragon heads came after you… you probably would have ran and hid as well. However, the monster was only concerned so you waited for them to come back out.

After a few minutes of silence (you ended up petting the heads again.), a pink ghost slowly popped their head out from their hiding spot. One that you recognized from somewhere but couldn’t put a name too. There weren’t many ghost monsters who weren’t corporeal so you were flummoxed that you couldn’t think of that monster’s name! Also… who was this ghost switched with? That seemed to be a running theme with this universe.

Keeping the skulls from going into attack mode again, you sent the ghost monster a patient smile while beckoning them over. Hoping you looked friendly enough to do so. The pink ghost looked unsure for a few more moments before slowly making their way out of their hiding place. It hovered above the water about halfway between you and the trash pile it had been hiding behind. “Um….. sorry…. if I startled you…. but are you okay? You’ve been here….. for a while….” It looked away from you as it spoke and you couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face. The way that they acted reminded you of Napstablook. From the long pauses in their speech to the anxious way that they looked around the room… it was as though your ghostly friend had turned pink.

“I have been better. Thank you for asking though. Also these guys won’t hurt you.” The electronic voice from your phone spoke while you gave the two magical attacks a pointed glare. There was no way you were going to let them blast away a cute ghost monster just because they had showed you some concern.

“Ah… well… If you want… maybe you could come back to my place? I… I might have something that could help you there…” The pink ghost quickly looked away. “Tha-that is if you want to… you don’t have to-”

“That sounds wonderful! My name is (y/n) by the way!” You were more than eager to get out of this damp dreary place. Despite the vertigo, you pushed yourself up into a standing position while your phone read the text you put into it. When you began to wobble on unsteady legs, one of the dragon heads was quick to push the back of your knees with it’s snout so that you fell backwards onto it’s forehead. It hovered in the air while you readjusted your sitting position. Riding on a dragon skull attack thing? Yes, please. 

“I-I’m… I’m Happstablook… um… this way…” Quicker than you would have thought, the pink ghost made its way out of the room you were currently in and you had to urge the attacks to follow. Overall, it was a rather short trip. Just a couple of rooms and soon you were standing before two identical houses. One being blue and one being a bright pink with the tops looking as though they were sagging away from each other. You blinked.

You’ve seen these houses before.

“Over here…” the pink monster hovered right in front of the pink house and opened the door before turning back to you and your little magic attack posse. “You can come in… if you want…” Without much prompting, the attack you rode on followed and your eyes confirmed the thoughts that were already forming in your head.

Pink.

A _LOT_ of pink.

Hot pink wall paper covered the walls as a pink fuzzy carpet covered the floor. The curtains were pink. The bed was pink. The journals on the floor were pink. Posters on the walls were covered in designs for a fashion line that looked to be more a dream than a real thing. The dots were connecting but there was just no way… it couldn’t be… this is…

This was Mettaton’s house. It was just slightly different.

“I… I know it isn’t much but if you need to rest… you can use my bed… it’s comfy… or at least I think it is…” Happstablook gestured to the piece of furniture in question and you let the dragon head you rode on deposit you right on the plush pink comforter. Instead of the bed giving into your body, it felt straight as if it had never been used before which was odd if it had been used. Wait. Ghost monster. Duh. “It isn’t as… nice as my cousin’s place but it.. it’s still nice.”

“Cousin?” you were quick to jump on the topic change. Now if only your phone could display vocal emotion.

“Y-yeah… You probably already know him… he’s the DJ that plays on TV sometimes… Napstabot.” At this, Happstablook grabbed a remote and turned on the TV. Sure enough, there was a robot monster DJing on stage to an overly excited crowd of monsters. Only instead of pink like you were used to, there was a lot of blue. “He’s pretty popular.” So your suspicions were correct. In this universe, Mettaton and Napstablook were switched in personalities and stages of life. Instead of the overly dramatic and charismatic superstar, Mettaton was still the shy ghost designer who probably only shows his clothes to close friends and family. Just how much cuter can this world get?

No wonder you couldn’t figure out the name of this monster. You’ve only seen Mettaton project his ghost form a few times. Most of the time you forgot he was a ghost at all. Now you get to experience something that you more than likely would have never been able to before? A mischievous grin started to make its way on your face but you fought it back. You had to resist for the adorable ghost’s sake but the urge… the urge to mess with him was powerful… to… powerful…

“Uh… are you okay?”

There was no doubt in your mind that you probably looked like you were about to pull off a horrid prank… if the hesitancy in the monster’s voice was anything to go by, at least. You allowed the grin to fade as you turned your attention back on the pink ghost. “Better now. You could say that you.. lifted my _SPIRITS_.” Unfortunately, the voice in the app wouldn’t enunciate the pun.

It didn’t need to though.

“W-what? D-did you just say a pun…. like Papyrus?” the cheeks of Happstablook got a little darker pink and you had to fight yourself so that you didn’t let your internal glee show. It was too cute!

“I was in such a _ghostly_ state! You really helped me out.” Your grin continued to grow as the blush continued to darken on the ghost with your punny compliments.

Quickly, the ghost monster looked away from you to hide his face but you could still see the magic from the reddened transparent cheeks. “N-no… I didn’t do much… I just… invited you over… It’s not like I saved you from something horrible…”

Oh, if he only knew why you were laying on that dock in the first place. Regardless, you couldn’t stop. You had to keep the adorable ghost blushing. Why couldn’t ghost monsters show up in photos? This was something you wanted to keep with you forever! Your fingers were already typing a response. “Hey! Don’t sell yourself short. I think you are fa- _BOO_ -lous!”

At that, the poor ghost’s blush covered their entire form so that they were a bright red instead of the soft pink from before. The silent giggles you were trying to contain shaking your shoulders. This was better than the time you stuck jolly ranchers in the shower head of Sans’s bathroom. When that poor skeleton began to dry with that sugar water on his bones… oh that had been too good to witness.

“HEY, HAPPSTA! YOU HOME? I GOTTA WARN YOU ABOUT A HUMAN PASSIN THROU-” Just as you were about to playfully tease the ghost version of your boyfriend some more, the front door of the house was kicked in causing you to jump in place and the dragon heads to turn their attention on the newcomer.

Yellow and armor. The monster was short in stature and riddled with scars on the places that weren’t covered up by the heavy protective metal. She was missing an eye and her expression was one of surprise. Then again, so was yours. After all… this was Alphys. Sweets hadn’t been kidding. Alphys was wearing the royal guard armor that looked just like the set that Undyne had shown you back in your universe. Alphys was the head of the royal guard in this version….and now she was holding a giant axe.

The very strong and very powerful lizard monster was holding an axe that she had summoned with her magic and was now pointing it directly at you.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no.

You swallowed hard while slowly raising your hand to give the yellow monster a meek wave. Just how were you going to talk your way out of getting your head lopped off? However, you weren’t given long to think about it. The dragon heads immediately put themselves between you and Alphys with their maws opening in preparation for attack.

Alphys’s eye took in the new threats before it fell back on you in a narrowed slit. “What do you think you are doing, human?”

Playfully flirting with a ghost monster. That’s all! Now if only you could sign that and she could understand it. With both hands in full view, you slowly typed out your response without taking your eyes off the intimidating monster. “Teasing my new _boo_.” You immediately pointed to the ever darkening Happstablook and the look on Alphys’s face went from intimidating to confused so you quickly typed out an explanation. “It’s a pun on bae.”

“W-WHAT?! I-I’m… I-I’M YOUR WHAT?!” You didn’t think the ghost monster could get any redder at this point and if they had blood you would have worried that they may pass out with so much going to their head.

“ENOUGH! IT DOESN’T MATTER!” Alphys bellowed out the words as she swung her axe around in a flashy display to look menacing. You couldn’t deny that it worked, also that you were very impressed with her skill. “I may not have been able to catch the other human but we just need one more SOUL to break the barrier. NOW WE CAN USE YOURS!”

The Captain of the Royal Guard advanced and you hugged the nearest dragon skull attack thing to try and stop it from doing what it had been charging up to do all this time. Only for your attempt to do absolutely nothing.

Two powerful blasts of pure magic launched their way towards Alphys…. or at least where Alphys had been. The blasts cut through the front door… the front wall… the entire front of Happstablook’s house was gone in a matter of seconds. You glanced around only to find that the monster had jumped and was falling towards you with her axe held high. Ready to strike you down. Well, this was one way to go. A lot better than a hospital bed in your opinion. “I CAN FEEL EVERYONE’S HEARTS BEATING AS ONE! WE WILL BE FREE!”

You snapped your eyes closed as the axe swung down towards your head and you braced yourself for an immense amount of pain. That or whatever happens when you die. Hopefully Alphys did it in one hit. Though with your weak SOUL it probably will. It really wouldn’t take to much effort. You continued to wait with your eyes scrunched closed until a frustrated snarl had you opening them.

Alphys’s axe was inches from your face with an orange aura wrapped around it and the rather pissed off monster that wielded it. “looks like i was just in time. can’t imagine if i was a beat late.” the orange hooded skeleton stood in the spot where the door had been a few seconds before. His right eye was lit up a brilliant orange with a similar aura encasing his hand.

“PAPYRUS!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” the yellow monster tried to fight the magic keeping her in mid air but she wasn’t budging in the slightest.

“sorry, alph but this human isn’t on the to kill list.” the tall skeleton idly rolled the lollipop in his mouth to the other side. Completely unfazed by the monster he held trapped.

“WHY THE HELL NOT?”

“we can’t use her SOUL. not strong enough… actually… kid are you okay? you look a little worse for wear.” Papyrus headed over to you while ignore the two dragon attacks that watched the two monsters in suspicion. Poor Happstablook completely forgotten about in the corner. You let out a silent sigh of relief and nod. Despite everything… you were alive. A little tired. A little dirty. A little weak but most definitely alive. “c’mon. we’re gonna need to call sans. he’s been worried sick about you.”

“CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!”

“Of course.” You smiled to the floating monster while your phone spoke for you. “But only if you _AXE_ nicely.”


	98. Underswap special 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically.... I'm gonna finish out this side story before the main story comes back. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter though.

“Holy shit, punk! How the hell are you even alive right now?” it took all the effort within your body to not send a glare at Alphys. You hadn’t exactly forgiven her yet for almost ending you. Your SOUL was currently being examined in one of the tube-like containers in Undyne’s lab, after you snuck a picture of the nerdy version of the fish monster on your phone. Your Alphys was gonna owe you at least a weeks worth of Muffet’s for the photo. You can just imagine the fanfiction she was going to write based off of the fish monster in a lab coat. Though you had to admit that she looked pretty cute. It was rather cool to see Undyne all nerdy when you knew that she wouldn’t be caught dead in a lab coat otherwise.

“sheer perseverance and a lot of SOUL supplements. so i would like to axe you to try and not kill the kiddo again.” Sans stood off to the side next to the still slightly surprised Undyne with Honey not to far behind. Sweets was currently at the metal lab table you were sitting on holding your hand. It was supposed to be supportive and it was sweet but, at this point in your life, you’ve gotten used to these procedures. You were wondering if he was doing it more for his sake than yours. Suddenly, Sans’s eye lights go out as he levels his gaze on the yellow lizard monster. “that is if you know what’s good for ya.”

Despite the intimidating look, Alphys just rolled her one good eye at the shorter skeleton completely unfazed. “How was I supposed to know that her SOUL is essentially worthless?” Your eyebrows shot up in surprise along with everyone else’s. Wow. Ouch. The bright pulsating glow of your dimmed a bit as her words stung a lot more than you really should have allowed. With that, Alphys earned a nasty glare from everyone in the room. “What?! That’s not what I meant and you know it! I meant it was worthless FOR THE BARRIER!”

The glares remained for a few more moments until you decided to break the standoff by clapping your hands. “Though I still think this was unnecessary… is there any change?” Your hands signed to Sans when he was looking at you again.

Undyne glanced at her monitor and despite knowing what was on it she gave you a shrug. “H-honestly… I c-can’t say. I-I don’t know what I-it was like before.” Once again, surprise shot across your face as the fish monster understood your hand signs. She was the only one in this universe who seemed to understand you so far.

“fortunately, i do.” Your best friend leaned over the sitting fish monster to get a look at the monitor and you couldn’t help the irritated look that Alphys was giving the skeleton from across the room.

Oh… this was too rich. A wicked grin made its way on your face as you pulled up your newly charged phone. “Hey, Alphys.” the robotic voice was loud but not loud enough to attract the attention of the scientists. Sweets was still eyeing your SOUL and Honey was asleep on the nearby couch now that everything had been deemed safe for the moment. When the captain ignored the first attempt you typed in another without regret. “Allllllppphhhyyyyysssssss.” the program read out her name letter by letter as you watched her irritated face become even more annoyed with every added syllable.

“Nrrrrgghhh WHAT HUMAN?!” she hissed as she sent you a glare that would have most people shrinking away but you were used to it. Instead of cowering, all she received was a big smirk. One that she was not expecting to see from the person she had tried to murder a few moments prior. Her eyes narrowed at you while you waggled your eyebrows while typing out a response.

“Seems you have a bone to pick with my Sans. Maybe it’s you who wants to be leaning over the cute fish?” the electronic voice read out and you watched as Alphys evolved into a chameleon. Her bright yellow scales turning a very deep red that seemed to reach down all the way to her toes. Just like your Alphys would when Undyne would blatantly flirt with her in public. Even though this one was covered in battle scars… it was still adorable. “Awwwwww! She does! Remember Alphy, no one likes a jealous monster.”

The lizard captain sputters before becoming an even deeper scarlet than she already was. “ W-what?! What the HELL are you talking about human? I am _NOT_ jealous of a pile of sentient bone-”

“Jeeeeaaalous.” Somehow the app actually enunciated the added letters to lengthen the word and you had about 2.5 seconds to wonder how you managed that before Alphys was up in your face while grabbing the collar of your shirt aggressively.

“I am _not_.” you could feel the monster’s breath on your face as she vehemently hissed the words at you but instead of being intimidated like you really should be… your smirk grew to shit-eating levels. Throwing your good health to the wind, you leaned in so that your forehead was almost touching hers and hitting send on your response.

“Are too.”

There was a pause.

You stared down the monster in front of you as she somehow became even redder than she already was while your grin grew to the point your face was starting to hurt. Oh well, it was worth it. Suddenly, Alphys let out a feral scream and lifted you off the lab table without any effort at all. “NGAAAAHHHHHHH! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I AM NOT JEALOUS YOU STUPID NERD. WHO CAN BE JEALOUS OF A SMALL, WIMPY BAG OF BONES. I’M GOING TO KILL YO-” before she could finish her overly loud tirade, she was enveloped in orange as you were enveloped in blue and you both were pried away from each other while you shook from the laughter that had over taken you.

“i thought i _axed_ you to not do that.” Sans raised his brow bone at the captain who was now just glaring at you from her new position by the couch. Though the fact that you were almost dying of laughter while you floated a little ways from the tube that held your soul did not go unnoticed. “kid…please stop antagonizing monsters who are ready to murder your face.” Your silent laughter increased to the point that you were having trouble breathing because of the skeleton’s exasperated look.

Honey’s snickers joined yours from the couch while he held Alphys with minimal effort. “looks like something struck her funny bone. gotta say, she has a lot of guts to tease alph like that.”

You managed to reign in yourself a small bit before you busted your gut. Oh this was to much fun. “HUMAN? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU SEEM TO BE RATHER RED IN THE FACE.” Sweets had finally looked away from your SOUL and was now looking at you as if you may keel over at any second. Then again with how fragile your SOUL appeared to be, he probably thought you would.

Nodding your head, you gave the smaller Sans a bright smile while your Sans put you back on the table. “I’m fine. Just having a fun chat with my new friend Alphys.” the worried eye lights of the skeleton turned into big stars as the phone spoke for you.

“YOU’VE BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE BIGGER HUMAN TOO?” Sweets left your side to go and stare at his lizard friend ecstatically while said friend just simmered at your words.

“I AM NOT! I DON’T EVEN LIKE HER!” she bellowed loud enough to make some objects in the room shake.

“Nah, that’s right. You love me.” Your response was instantaneous. It was to easy. The grin was back on your face and even Sans snickered at how cheeky you looked.

The poor Captain of the Royal Guard was fuming. You swore you saw the vapors if you squinted your eyes just right. “I DON’T LOVE YOU!” she roared, pointing an accusatory claw your way. Shouldn’t having this much fun be considered illegal?

“You’re right. You love Undyn-”

“RRRAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHH” the rest of your text was drowned out as Alphys roared from the top of her lungs making a few thing actually fall off the walls this time.

“ENOUGH!” Everyone froze in what they were doing to look at the fish monster who was desperately trying to keep several expensive looking pieces of lab equipment from falling to the floor. “IF YOU ALL DON’T BEHAVE I’M KICKING YOU OUT!” Undyne gave you all a stern look and Alphys immediately dropped her intimidating tirade. Honey was holding back snickers as he released the lizard monster from his magic and you couldn’t wipe the satisfied grin off your face. Not that you were trying that hard.

“Would you PLEASE stop looking happy with yourself?” Alphys gritted out and you had to rein your mischievous side back in. Swapped Undyne was right. You’ve messed with the lizard monster enough.

You held up both of your hands as a sign of peace before turning to Sans as he went about helping Undyne save the lab equipment she had managed to catch. “So… what’s the verdict? Will I live?”

The skeleton chuckled. “yeah, you’ll live. though if you keep messing with alphys i can’t guarantee for how long.” There was a playful glint in his eyelights and you knew that he was teasing. There was no way that he would allow you to be hurt if he was nearby.

“THAT’S WONDERFUL NEWS!”Sweets dashed forward and pounced you into a hug while the tube removed itself so that your SOUL could return to it’s rightful place.

“Okay, fine. Fine. The human is all hunky dory. Can someone explain to me how she can summon giant dragon skulls?” Alphys stated while gesturing to you.

“oh, she can’t summon those. blasters are a skeleton only deal.” Honey said with Sans nodding in agreement and Sweets giving a sound of acknowledgement. However, you couldn’t stop the pout that formed on your face. When Sans caught up to you, he had returned the adorable attacks back to the void and you kind of missed them.

“Then how…?”

“with these.” Sans pulled out a couple of the capsules that he had given you. “gave ‘em to her as a safeguard in case we got separated and she ended up in danger.”

Hah. Danger was an understatement. Not wanting to have to explain all of that yet, you turned to Undyne with your hands up. Ready to sign. “So… have you met a human kid yet?”

Recognition flits across her eye as she closes down all the sciency stuff she had up. “W-why yes! Actually… C-chara is on their way to m-meet Queen Toriel now.”

“What?!” Honey and Sans both looked at Undyne with wide eye sockets.

“shit.” the lanky skeleton teleports away and Sans is at your side in a heartbeat.

“i can’t believe i never even considered this. we gotta send you back home. now.” Sans tried to grab your hand but you hopped off the table.

“What? Why?” you gave him a confused look. Everything went from 0 to 100 really quick. One moment you were teasing and joking around with everyone like best buds. Now Honey disappeared with a slight hint of panic in his voice and Sans was looking rather freaked out himself. Though he was playing it off rather well, you knew your best friend well enough to know when he was distressed. This wasn’t just him being uncomfortable or slightly worried. No, he was trying to keep himself completely calm and it only was working on Undyne and Sweets who were both looking at him confused with a little bit of concern.

With each passing moment, his facade was beginning to slip. “look. there is a lot about the underground that you don’t know about still. some of it you have to experience to understand. however, this is one experience i would rather you not have to go through.” Sans wiped some sweat that was starting to form on his skull. “not just because i don’t want you to experience it but because i don’t know what will happen. we aren’t apart of this universe. if something happens to the kid… and what i think is going to happen does… there is no guarantee that anything good will happen to us. so because i don’t know what will happen is precisely why i need to get you back home!”

“Sans, Sans! Calm down, what do you mean something is going to happen to the kid?” Now it was your turn to be worried. What could possibly happen to the kid if they were just going to see Toriel? She’s an amazing parent!

“you three!” Before you could ask anymore, Sans had turned his attention on the other three monsters in the room who were looking even more confused than ever. “chara.” he has to pause after saying the name but continues on anyway. “needs your help. weren’t you all called to the throne room earlier?”

“Hey… now that you mention it. Sans didn’t you all call us to meet up in Toriel’s room?” Alphys looked at Sweets as realization crossed his face.

“OH NO! YOU ARE RIGHT ALPHYS. WE NEED TO GET TO THE THRONE ROOM RIGHT AWAY. ALL OF US!” the smaller skeleton clapped both of his gloved hands to his skull in worry. “WE GOTTA STOP TORIEL FROM FIGHTING THE HUMAN. THERE’S NO WAY WE WILL GET THERE IN TIME NOW.”

Wait, what was that first part?

“don’t worry, guys. i know a shortcut. stay here for a sec, (y/n). when i get back, we’re going home.” Sans made his way over to the other three monsters and in seconds they were gone. You were entirely alone in Undyne’s lab. Instinctively, you shuddered. There have been to many times that you’ve been alone here and something went wrong.

Deciding that you didn’t want to wait around on the table, you headed into the other room to look at the security cameras. It wouldn’t be hard to find out the ones in Queen Toriel’s castle. There were cameras everywhere else. You figured there were probably a couple in that room too. Since you understood your Alphys somewhat, it was fairly easy to figure out the set up of the security monitors and within a few seconds you had the throne room in sight. Your eyes grew wide. There were a lot more people in there than you had thought there would be. Toriel, Asgore, Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, Sans(not your sans though. Where did he go?), Napstaton, and a child were all standing in the throne room talking. It looked pretty serious too. But it also looked like everything was going to be okay… wait what just popped up in the corner?

You turned the camera only to freeze in fear. You knew that gray hair and white fur anywhere but… what was Temmie doing in the throne room.

“alright, bud. we gotta go. we don’t have a lot of time.” a familiar boney hand grabbed your shoulder and within seconds the lab you were in was gone to be replaced by a basement you’ve only been in once or twice. Sans dashed over to the control console of the machine and began to get it running while you tried to get your act together.

“Sans… Temmie was in the throne room.” You signed to your best friend when he looked your way. He arched an unimpressed brow bone and that would be understandable if you were back in your universe. Temmies were adorable in your universe. The one here wasn’t so much.

“kid. everyone is gonna end up in that room pretty soon. until the flower shows up they’ll be fine.” He hits a button and the hatch to the newly repaired machine opens. “get in, buddo.”

“Sans… Temmie was the reason why I summoned the blasters. They kept saying something along the lines of.. ‘it’s kill or be killed.’. They chased me down. Tried to kill me.” You dropped your hands to your sides once you finished. Frustrated that you seemed to always keep these important details to yourself until its almost to late.

If bones could get paler then Sans proved it was possible. “what?” He shook his head then gestured to the open hatch. “(y/n), get in now. we have even less time than i originally thought. we gotta go.” There was no way that you could ignore the urgency in his voice. You dashed into the machine and he joined you a few seconds later. The machine was firing up as Sans reached out to close the hatch. “c’mon, work faste-”

Then everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/arzuera


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